House Committee Right To Cut Aid to UNFPA and International Abortion Rights Groups

By Lisa Correnti | May 18, 2012

On Thursday the House Appropriations Committee passed the FY’13  State and Foreign Operations bill which provides funding to the State Department and other foreign operations.  The $40.1 billion package makes significant prolife strides and curbs funding to United Nation agencies pending necessary reform.

The $39 million requested by the Obama administration for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was stripped. Funding to UNFPA was cut-off by President Bush when it was revealed UNFPA was complicit in the enforcement of China’s one-child policy. However President Obama reinstated funding the past 3 years.

The UNFPA actively works in developing countries to implement population-reducing programs. With billions of dollars flowing from private foundations and abortion rights groups the United States hardly needs to be funding long-term contraceptive devices and sterilizations in developing countries.

The UNFPA was recently cited by an independent review initiated by the Norway government for not providing full transparency.  The audit showed UNFPA failed to account for $200 million a year allocated to governments and non-governmental groups.

The House Appropriations Committee included pro-life policy provisions to “safeguard the respect for life around the globe.”  Given the millions of dollars flowing to developing countries for reproductive health and family planning (RH/FP) these prolife riders will guarantee family planning programs are voluntary and are not used to fund abortion.

For the past 40 years, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has provided funding for population and family planning programs in developing countries. USAID funding for RH/FP has increased substantially under the Obama administration. Prior to 2008 funding levels for RH/FP were around $450 million. Last years funding was $610 million and this year the Obama administration budgeted for a 5% increase  – $642.7 million while other health initiatives stayed the same or were slightly reduced. The House bill allows for $493 million for RH/FP – $149 million less then requested but still above 2008 levels.

The House bill reinstates the Mexico City policy which will have a direct impact on funding to abortion performing groups like International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). The Mexico City policy will once again prohibit funding to non-governmental organizations that perform or refer for abortions or are involved in policy advocacy to legalize abortion.

Cries from abortion rights members of Congress like Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) professing that prolife provisions harm women are pure theatrics. Their attempts to amend the bill restoring funding to UNFPA failed.

 

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