Politics
Friday June 22, 2007
See today's LifeSiteNews stories
House Democrats Pass Contraceptive Aid Funding for Developing Countries
By Hilary White
WASHINGTON, June 22, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Democrats in the US House of Representatives lifted a prohibition yesterday on allowing government donations of abortifacient and other contraceptives to abortion-promoting foreign aid organizations.
President Bush has twice said he will veto any legislation that weakens protection for life in the Mexico City Policy. The policy dates to the Reagan administration and prohibits any funding for any purpose to abortion providers in developing countries.
The amendment passed by a vote of 223-201, with 207 Democrats and 16 Republicans voting to allow the contraceptive funding.
Rep. Nita Lowey, the New York Democrat who wrote the amendment said, "It would advance the Bush administration's stated goal ... to make abortion more rare and protect women and children." Lowey's language reflects a move by the US Democrats to soften their image and adopt less militant language in their continued support for abortion.
Lowey, the chairman of the House appropriations panel overseeing the foreign aid funding, is a long-time militant abortion and contraception promoter in the House, and a supporter of the international population control agency, the UNFPA. She was behind a 1998 measure that forced federal employee health-care plans to cover contraceptives.
Lowey's first draft of the legislation specified that it would guarantee funds to any group so long as the assistance included funding for contraceptives.
Pro-life representatives argued that the bill would free up more resources for the groups' abortion activities and undermine the Mexico policy. "The Mexico policy exists to draw a bright line between U.S. family planning policy and abortion," said Rep. Joe Pitts, R-Pa. "However, it appears that there are some out there who wish to blur this line, (which) is what leads to coercive abortions and forced sterilizations."
Read related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:
U.S. House Backs President's Mexico City Policy
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2001/may/01051601.html
Back to TopSHARE THIS STORY: E-mail Print Newsvine Digg Reddit Del.icio.us Facebook
Latest Headlines
- McCain Stresses Role as Maverick, War Vet, Makes Bipartisan Appeal in Acceptance Speech
- Foiled Again - Attempt to Paint Palin as Slashing Funds to Teen Moms Proven False
- EU Seeks Legal Means to Shut Up Eurosceptic Bloggers
- Comments on September 5, 2008 News
- Sarah Palin News Highlights 2
- Speaker Pelosi "in Opposition" to Church Teaching on Abortion: San Francisco Archbishop
- CRTC Nixes Christian Radio Proposals, Supports Porn TV
- BC Court Ruling Means only Pro-Abortion Information is Allowed Inside Bubble Zones
- One Month Till 16th Annual Catholic Week of Prayer and Fasting for Life - October 5-13, 2008
- "Anti-Catholic" Union Advocating Homosexual Agenda May Face Human Rights Commission
- Brazilian Health Minister Gives False Testimony in Eugenic Abortion Case
- U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Launches New Stem Cell Research and Anti-Abortion Ads
- N. Ireland Pro-life Group launches 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting to Stop Abortion Threat
- Ottawa Gears Up for 40 Days for Life Rally
Most Read this Week
- USCCB Delivers One Last Blow to "Catholic" Pelosi on Abortion Remarks
- Exclusive: Sources Reveal Internal Uproar over Vatican Conference Promoting Organ Donation
- Lawsuit: Young Pro-lifers Jailed, Shackled, Strip Searched for Peacefully Sharing Message
- British Government Chooses Hitler-Loving Abortion Movement Pioneer for Stamps
- Prominent Psychiatrist: "No Particular Need for Sex-Education"
- Sarah Palin Delivers Gutsy Acceptance Speech
- Obama Launches Ad Campaign Attacking McCain for Pro-Life Policy
- Potential Vice-President of the United States of America - Who is Sarah Palin?
- Foiled Again - Attempt to Paint Palin as Slashing Funds to Teen Moms Proven False
- Scotland Bishops Oppose "Sexual Orientation Discrimination" Bill
MORE NEWS: 
LifeSiteNews.com Home Page Last 10 Days Archives Special Reports
Copyright © LifeSiteNews.com. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivatives License. You may republish this article or portions of it without request provided the content is not altered and it is clearly attributed to "LifeSiteNews.com". Any website publishing of complete or large portions of original LifeSiteNews articles MUST additionally include a live link to www.LifeSiteNews.com. The link is not required for excerpts. Republishing of articles on LifeSiteNews.com from other sources as noted is subject to the conditions of those sources.