Support the Smith-Stupak Amendment -- Part Two of Two

The next time someone tells you how “moderate,” how eager to find “common ground” on abortion the pro-abortion Democratic leadership in Congress is, please refer them to the all-out assault on the pro-life “Mexico City Policy.”

This policy goes way back to President Reagan and has as its objective a prohibition that any non-partisan would find more than acceptable: making sure that the American taxpayer is not coerced into supporting organizations that promote abortion overseas. But, of course, to people like pro-abortion Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY), this is intolerable.

Which is why Lowey, who chairs the House Appropriations subcommittee which wrote the  State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill, made sure to insert language into H.R. 2764 that would effectively overturn the Mexico City Policy.

Originally adopted by President Reagan and announced at a 1984 population conference in Mexico City, in order to be eligible for U.S. "population assistance” under this policy, a private organization must sign a contract promising not to perform abortions (except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incest), and not to lobby to change the abortion laws of host countries, or otherwise "actively promote abortion as a method of family planning." Lowey reverses the prohibition. 

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the agency that administers foreign aid programs, would be prohibited from denying assistance to an overseas organization because that organization promotes abortion as a method of family planning. 

A vote on HR 2764 will come up tomorrow or Friday. Pro-life Reps. Chris Smith and Bart Stupak (the co-chairs of the House Pro-Life Caucus) will offer an amendment to remove the language that would mandate U.S. subsidies to organizations that actively promote abortion in foreign nations.

The issue is not about the level of family planning funds. It is about who is willing to accept the commonsense limitations found in the Mexico City Policy.

As NRLC explained in a letter to Members of the House, “If a specific organization declines to accept the policy, then the same funds are channeled to other organizations that agree to the contract.  There is, therefore, no overall reduction in funding for family planning programs resulting from the Mexico City Policy.

It is not too late for you to make your feelings known. Just go to http://www.capwiz.com/nrlc/callalert/index.tt?alertid=9893056&type=CO and you will be shown a quick and easy way to register your support for the Smith-Stupak amendment.

If you have any comments or questions, please write Dave Andrusko at daveandrusko@hotmail.com

Part One