[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 19 (Thursday, February 13, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E249]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SUPPORT HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 36: PROTECT THE LIVES AND WOMEN AND 
                          CHILDREN WORLD-WIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 13, 1997

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Joint 
Resolution 36, The International Family Planning Funds Release. This 
Resolution will right a wrong which Congress created in the high-
politics of the fiscal year 1997 Omnibus Appropriations Act. It will 
also unquestionably help to save the lives of countless women and 
children world-wide. We have no choice but to support it. This 
resolution does nothing more than move forward the release date of 
international family planning funds from July 1, 1997 to March 1, 1997. 
This resolution does nothing less than save lives.
  Unfortunately, there are some among us who have chosen to turn this 
humble proposal into a battle-ground for one of the most controversial 
of all policy issues--abortion. It is true that abortion has a role in 
this resolution. That role can be found in the fact that family 
planning unequivocally reduces the use of abortion world-wide. The use 
of abortion is closely associated with the unmet need for contraception 
and with reliance on less effective methods. Therefore, abortion rates 
are lower in countries where more effective modern methods of 
contraception are used than in countries where less effective methods 
predominate. International family planning funds are used to provide 
women with access to these much needed alternatives. When women are 
provided with alternatives to abortion, they use abortion less. This 
fact has been shown again and again world-wide. In addition, as I am 
sure all of my colleagues are well-aware, the 1973 Helms amendment of 
the Foreign Assistance Act prohibits the use of any U.S. funds for 
abortion, or to motivate or coerce any person to practice abortion. 
Therefore, this resolution is about the reduction of abortion, not its 
funding.
  Most importantly, however, this resolution is about saving the lives 
of women and children through-out the developing world. According to 
CARE, family planning is as essential to saving the lives of infants as 
their programs in immunization, respiratory disease, diarrheal disease, 
and nutrition. They have also found the scientific evidence to be 
overwhelming that a woman's ability to space births and avoid births at 
the extremes of the reproductive years is critical to ensuring child 
survival. In fact, in many countries, birth spacing alone could prevent 
one in five infant deaths.
  Nearly 600,000 women die each year from pregnancy-related causes--
leaving thousand of motherless children behind. Another 18 million 
women suffer long-term reproductive health complications that are 
excruciatingly painful and often result in life-long disabilities. 
According to UNICEF, just meeting the existing demand for family 
planning in the developing world would reduce unintended pregnancies by 
one-fifth, which would be expected to prevent at least 100,000 of the 
600,000 annual maternal deaths. Put simply, family planning saves 
lives. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to be on the side of life and 
vote in favor of House Joint Resolution 36. I can not imagine a better 
use of this institution's time. Thank you.

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