[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 96 (Friday, July 21, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1298]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      FOREIGN OPERATIONS, EXPORT FINANCING, AND RELATED PROGRAMS 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2001

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                               speech of

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 13, 2000

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4811) making 
     appropriations for foreign operations, export financing, and 
     related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 
     2001, and for other purposes.

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Chairman, today, I cosponsored an amendment to 
withdraw the global ``gag'' language from the Foreign Operations 
Appropriations bill. The language denies U.S. family planning funding 
to any overseas organization that uses its own non-U.S. funds to 
provide abortion services. The family planning dollars appropriated in 
this bill are critically important to the prevention maternal and child 
deaths and the continued spread of STDs. Congress should not make the 
allocation of this life saving funding contingent on how a foreign 
organization chooses to spend its own dollars.

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