House Adopts Amendment to Prevent UNFPA Funding

July 17, 2003—Washington, DC: The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, agreed with President Bush's decision to cut off funding from the United Nation's Population Fund (UNFPA).

Pro-life lawmakers accused the UNFPA of involvement in and tolerance of forced abortions and sterilizations in China. The House voted 216-211 in favor of a pro-life amendment that restores the Kemp-Kasten law prohibiting taxpayer funding of population control programs that involve coercion.

The pro-life amendment was necessary because pro-abortion Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) inserted language in the State Department funding bill in committee that gutted the law.

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), told members, "Since 1979, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has been the chief apologist for China's coercive one-child-per-couple policy. Despite numerous credible forced abortion reports from impeccable sources, including human
rights organizations, journalists, former Chinese population control officials and, above all, from the women victims themselves, officials at the UNFPA always found a way to explain it all away.

Smith said China recently renewed its coercive population control program that includes a one child per couple policy and fines for women who have additional children.

"The women of China are being oppressed with great impunity by their government," Smith explained.

"Regardles of where you stand on abortion, I think we can all agree that no woman should be forced to abort her child," added pro-life Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-VA).

Abortion advocates say the U.N. organization does not support forced abortions. Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY), claimed, "UNFPA does not engage in coercion of any kind."

Opponents of the amendment said it would remove funding from programs that help women such as prenatal care and efforts to reduce infant mortality rates. However, Congressman Smith said every dollar denied to the UNFPA would be used to fund such programs.

"We are the largest spender for family planning and nobody will be denied anything -- it just won't go through the U.N," Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL) added.

Family Research Council (FRC) Vice President of Government Affairs Connie Mackey applauded the vote: "American tax dollars should help meet the real health care needs of women overseas, not fund abortions. In China, the UNFPA is complicit in policies that actually harm women, forcing them to have abortions or be sterilized if they have more than one baby. Until the UNFPA washes its hands of these atrocities, they should not receive any taxpayer dollars."

Lawmakers disagreed about a recent investigation conducted by the State Department.

The report indicated China "has in place a regime of severe penalties on women who have unapproved births."

It went on to say, "This regime plainly operates to coerce pregnant women to have abortions in order to avoid the penalties ... UNFPA's support of, and involvement in, China's population planning activities allows the Chinese government to implement more effectively its program of coercive abortion."

Abortion advocates said the report also indicated the UNFPA had no direct involvement in China's program, but pro-life lawmakers countered that the funding the UNFPA provides to China makes the U.N. group a partner in China's coercive activities.

Congressmen Chris Smith (R-NJ), Jim Oberstar (D-MN), and Henry Hyde (R-IL) sponsored the amendment.

Members speaking in favor of the amendment incldued Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Joe Pitts (R-PA), Jo Ann Davis (R-VA), Todd Akin (R-MO), Mike Pence (R-IN), Steve King (R-IA), and Henry Hyde (R-IL).

Those speaking against the pro-life amendment included Reps. Joe Crowley (D-NY), Jim Greenwood (R-PA), Tom Lantos (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Maloney (D-NY), Hila Solis (D-CA), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Lois Capps (D-CA), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Tim Ryan (D-OH), and Diana DeGette (D-CO).

ACTION: Click here to see how your member voted and contact that person to express your thanks or displeasure. http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=362.