[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 19 (Thursday, February 13, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E269]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   WORLD NEEDS FAMILY PLANNING FUNDS

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                           HON. DOUG BEREUTER

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 13, 1997

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, this Member highly commends to his 
colleagues the following editorial regarding funds for international 
family planning which appeared in the Omaha World Herald on February 5, 
1997.

                   World Needs Family-Planning Funds

       The United States government's commitment to population 
     control and support for family-planning services around the 
     world is headed for another test in Congress. Anti-abortion 
     forces have slowed and reduced the U.S. role in the past. We 
     hope they don't do so again.
       A vote is approaching on whether to release $385 million to 
     provide family-planning services to women in the world's 
     poorest countries. The funds were allocated last year but 
     tied up by anti-abortion congressmen who demanded stronger 
     restrictions on using the money to promote abortion.
       U.S. funding for family-planning programs around the world 
     hit a record $547 million in 1995 but was slashed by 35 
     percent last year. Ironically, the cut demanded by anti-
     abortion leaders, which denied access to modern 
     contraceptives to seven million couples, resulted in an 
     estimated 1.6 million more abortions, the Alan Guttmacher 
     Institute has said. The U.S. Agency for International 
     Development, which handles the family-planning programs, said 
     the funding delays have ``resulted in programmatic 
     disruption, inefficiencies'' and an estimated $1 million in 
     extra administrative costs.
       President Clinton has submitted a report to Congress 
     summarizing the negative impact the lack of funding is 
     having. The report notes the unintended consequences of more 
     abortions and more infant and maternal mortality Congress 
     must act on that report sometime this month, either 
     reaffirming its decision to delay the money or allowing it to 
     be paid out.
       Since 1973, Congress has forbidden the use of U.S. tax 
     dollars for abortions or abortion-related services overseas. 
     Money sent to the United Nations for family planning and 
     contraceptive services is clearly and unequivocally 
     segregated from any abortion-related expenditures.
       But anti-abortion forces have demanded that Clinton return 
     to what is known as the Mexico City policy of the Reagan and 
     Bush administrations. That policy barred funding for any 
     organization that performs or promotes abortion as a means of 
     family planning, even though U.S. money would not be used for 
     those activities. Clinton canceled the policy when he took 
     office.
       Werner Fornos, president of the Population Institute, has 
     suggested that the wider availability of family-planning 
     services in developing nations could actually reduce 
     abortions, which now number 32 million a year.
       Further delays in family-planning funding would result in 
     even more unintended pregnancies and more abortions. Anti-
     abortion forces will have caused the very thing they say they 
     abhor most if they continue to delay the release of family-
     planning money.
       Population control is vital. Fast population growth 
     underpins most of the worst problems facing the world--
     pollution, erosion and soil depletion, loss of the rain 
     forests and a growing shortage of fresh water for domestic 
     and agricultural use. Modern, easily available family-
     planning services can make a big difference. Congress ought 
     to release the funds needed to keep the international 
     programs going.

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