The
arguments For and Against (Paraphrased):
For: We strongly oppose
sections 131-33, the `Global Democracy Promotion Act'. We do
not think abortion related activities should be carried out even with
`their own' money. We wish to erect a wall of separation
between family planning and abortion. We don’t
believe foreign organizations have the right to free
speech. We believe that family planning overseas will
reduce the number of abortions by providing contraception instead. It
makes no sense to hire abortionists to run programs that are aimed at
reducing abortion. We don’t believe we should fund abortion advocates,
even although they are not abortionists themselves, to distribute
contraceptives. We believe that Int. Family Planning organizations are in
the business of family planning and not abortion. We think family planning
is something entirely distinct from abortion. We intend to offer an
amendment during floor consideration of this bill that will enforce the Gag Rule.
Against: We strongly agree
with sections 131-33, the `Global Democracy Promotion
Act. It overturns the President's January Executive
Memorandum reimposing the global gag rule. This memorandum strips foreign
Non-Gov. Operations that implement the U.S. population program overseas of
their autonomy and their rights to free speech. The President's memorandum
prohibits foreign Non-Gov Operations from using their own non-U.S. monies
to offer abortion services in countries where abortion is legal, to
counsel women regarding all of their legal options and provide referrals
for those services, or to advocate in their own countries for more humane
abortion laws. If a similar prohibition were applied to U.S. citizens, it
would be unconstitutional.
U.S. Does Not Fund abortion. Let us be clear: U.S. tax payers' dollars do
not pay for abortion. We find it disturbing that the proponents of the Gag
Rule continue to misstate this fact: The United States does not
fund abortion overseas nor abortion advocacy
For a woman in some developing countries, pregnancy can be a death sentence. The reality is
that in the developing world, 600,000 women a year
die due to pregnancy. Sixty percent of those pregnancies are unintended. Many of these
deaths are due to backstreet abortion. |
