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“THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1463-E1464 on June 29, 2007.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS
APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008
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speech of
HON. TODD TIAHRT
of kansas
in the house of representatives
Thursday, June 21, 2007
The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2764) making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes:
Mr. TIAHRT. Mr. Chairman, it is unfortunate that the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations bill, H.R. 2764, contains language that undermines the Mexico City Policy. While the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Nina Lowey (D-NY) drafted a bill that included excellent funding levels for foreign nations in need of assistance, her amendment would essentially gut the Mexico City Policy. This will have a devastating effect on women and families overseas.
The Reagan administration, in 1984, restricted U.S. population aid by terminating USAID support for any foreign NGO that was involved in promoting or performing abortions as a method of family planning in other nations. This was called the ``Mexico City Policy,'' named after the location of the United Nations population conference where the policy was first announced. In 1993, President Clinton rescinded the policy imposed by the Reagan and Bush administrations. As his first act in office, President George W. Bush restored the Mexico City Policy on January 20, 2001 and released a letter stating, ``I will veto any legislation that weakens current Federal policies and laws on abortion, or that encourages the destruction of human life at any stage.''
The Mexico City Policy should not have been weakened. Taxpayer dollars should not, in any way, be used to promote abortion as a method of family planning. The United States should never be active in promoting abortions overseas. Instead, the U.S. should offer family planning programs that support the health of the mother, child and family unit.
There are several known organizations that use U.S. foreign aid funding to promote and provide abortions, as well as sterilizations, overseas. In 1998, newspapers were filled with stories of women participating in U.S. funded family planning programs who were forced to undergo sterilization procedures, especially in Peru. There were also stories of women coerced to participate in family planning programs by threatening to withhold food, clothing and shelter from their family.
In response to these atrocities, I introduced an amendment to the State, Foreign Operations Appropriations bill in 1998 that defined the meaning of ``voluntary participation'' in family planning programs. It was to ensure the NGOs receiving USAID funding for family planning programs understood what voluntary participation meant and required informed consent for women on the benefits and risks associated with different family planning methods. Since it was enacted for fiscal year 1999, there have been several violations and vulnerabilities in countries receiving funding. These violations and vulnerabilities were identified and corrected by USAID.
Without strong direction from the United States on how taxpayer dollars are spent, we will continue to find violations that are destructive to women and families.
It is due to the Lowey amendment, which undermines the Mexico City Policy, that I will be voting against final passage of a bill that contained important foreign aid for countries in need, such as Israel. It is unfortunate this amendment was adopted, and organizations that promote and perform abortions to the women overseas will be able to receive U.S. taxpayer funding. It is my hope the Senate will take up this bill and strike this harmful language.
Tonight, I will vote against H.R. 2476 on the basis that it clearly undermines good policy and subjects what could have been a good piece of legislation to a veto by the President. I urge my colleagues to vote against final passage of this bill.
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