House and Senate Differ on Funding For Population Control Programs

By Lisa Correnti | July 25, 2013

On Wednesday the House Appropriations Committee approved the FY2014 Foreign Ops bill that allocates funding for global health initiatives. Population control advocates are crying foul play with Family Planning funding being reduced to $461 million – down some $200 million from last year.

The Obama administration has prioritized Family Planning money over all other health initiatives other than HIV/AIDS, despite over $7 billion being allocated to Family Planning and Population Reduction programs annually through bilateral and multilateral efforts.

Family Planning and Reproductive Health (FP/RH) has seen huge increases, up 57% since 2006, while other funding categories like Maternal and Child Health, Nutrition, Clean Water and Sanitation have remained stagnant or been reduced. Funding for overseas FP/RH programs flows through the Department of State and though U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

The house bill will increase by 12%, vital funding for Maternal and Child Health to $680 million. Maternal mortality can see significant reductions when services are focused on providing life-sustaining health services that can treat women for sepsis, hemorrhage and other obstetric complications.

The House bill would reinstate the Mexico City policy which prevents funding to organizations that promote or perform abortion. Since rescinded by President Obama in 2009, billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars now flow to groups that perform abortion and/or seek to expand access to abortion. In fact, thirteen of the top 20 USAID vendors support or offer programs involving abortion and/or population control programs. These groups include Pathfinder International, Marie Stopes International, and International Planned Parenthood Federation.

An amendment to permanently rescind the Mexico City policy brought by Rep. Nita Lowey was rejected in committee by a vote of 26-24. A similar amendment offered by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in the senate version of the Foreign Ops bill was approved.

The senate bill moved out of committee Thursday retaining FP/RH funding near current levels – $669 million.

The senate bill also allocates funding to USAID for research and development to create contraceptives for women in developing countries that are “more effective, affordable, and easier to deliver and may also prevent sexually transmitted diseases.” — In other words, inexpensive long-lasting contraceptives like implants and injectables that can be delivered without a physician, so poor women can go longer periods without having more children.

It is unlikely either bill will be voted on in the House or Senate which similar to previous years would require a Continuing Resolution (CR) by the beginning of the new fiscal year, October 1, to keep funding the government until an agreement can be reached between President Obama and the House.

 

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