Senate Approves Measure That Would Lift Restrictions On Family Planning Aid For International Groups

The Senate on Thursday voted to "lift restrictions on family planning aid to overseas health organization that perform abortion or promote the procedure as a method of family planning," the Los Angeles Times reports (Simon, Los Angeles Times, 9/6). The so-called "Mexico City" policy bars U.S. funding from going to international groups that support abortion, even with their own money, through direct services, counseling or lobbying activities. The policy originally was implemented by former President Reagan at a population conference in Mexico City in 1984, removed by former President Clinton and reinstated by President Bush during the first days of his presidency. Bush in September 2003 issued an executive order that prevents the State Department from giving family planning grants to international groups that provide abortion-related counseling (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 9/6). The changes to the Mexico City policy are included in the Senate versions of the fiscal year 2008 foreign aid spending bill (HR 2764), which the Senate on Thursday voted 81-12 to approve, the AP/Google reports (Taylor, AP/Google, 9/6).

The Senate voted 53-41 to overturn the funding restriction policy, the Times reports. Seven Republicans joined 44 Democrats and two independents in support of reversing the ban, according to the Times. One Democrat joined 40 Republicans in voting against reversing the ban. The Senate bill must be reconciled with the House-approve measure, which does not include a provision to overturn the policy, the Times reports. The House bill, which has prompted a veto threat from Bush, includes another provision that would permit family planning groups to distribute U.S.-provided contraceptives (Los Angeles Times, 9/7).

Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, recently said the appropriations measure, which passed the House by a 241-178 vote in June, leaves the Mexico City policy intact. However, Republicans disagreed and cited a threat by Bush to veto legislation that would change current abortion-related policies and laws. Bush in May in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he will veto any legislation that would weaken federal policies or laws on abortion, including measures that would "allow taxpayer dollars to be used for the destruction of human life" (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 9/6).

Comments
"The administration strongly opposes this legislation because it includes provisions that are inconsistent with the administration's international family planning policy," the Office of Management and Budget said in a statement, adding, "If the President were presented a bill such as HR 2764 that weakens current federal policies and laws on abortion, he would veto the bill" (Pulizzi, Dow Jones/Nasdaq, 9/6).














Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said that overseas family planning groups are restricted from counseling women about abortion or from participating in policy debates concerning abortion in their countries if they want to retain U.S. aid. She added, "The policy literally gags foreign organizations that receive (U.S.) family planning funds."

Sen. Sam Brownback (Kan.), who is running for the Republican presidential nomination, in response said that U.S. taxpayers should not have to subsidize groups involved in abortions. "It's a gut-check issue about where you stand on life ... where you stand on whether o[r] not we should be using taxpayer funds for abortion" (AP/Google, 9/6). Brownback recently said he might offer an amendment that would remove language aimed at loosening Mexico City policy restrictions (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 9/6).

Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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