Politics
Thursday September 13, 2007
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For Sixth Year in a Row Bush Denies Funding to United Nations Population Fund
Democrats almost defeat Kemp-Kasten Amendment that has prohibited such funding
By Matthew Cullinan Hoffman
WASHINGTON, September 13, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) -White House Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte announced last week that the Bush Administration would deny funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for a sixth year in a row, on the grounds that the program cooperates with forced abortion and sterilization in China.
The decision follows a congressional vote narrowly approving the Kemp-Kasten Amendment, a measure that prohibits funding for coercive population control programs. The amendment, which has prevented such funding since its origination in 1985, was approved by a 53-41 vote.
"I commend the Senate for refusing to participate in such atrocities against vulnerable women and their children in the developing world," said Deirdre McQuade, a spokesman for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. "At the same time, it is disconcerting to think that this was considered debatable at all - and that the vote was so close."
"Once again, common sense policy has been replaced with nonsense," said Rep. Nita Lowey, D-NY, who voted against the amendment, claiming that it "punishes the poorest women and children in all the countries UNFPA serves," according to the Associated Press.
The UN Population Fund has provided financial support to China's "One Child Policy" programs since they began in 1979. The policy mandates severe penalties for women who give birth to more than one child, including forced abortions, sterilizations, and killing of newborns. In other cases, massive fines are imposed on families and their property is confiscated.
The UNFPA has repeatedly denied any involvement with coercive measures in China's population programs, despite testimony from victims within China, as well as reports from groups ranging from the Population Research Institute to Amnesty International. A US State Department fact-finding mission in 2002 confirmed that the UNFPA continues to support the coercive policies of the Chinese government.
Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ) says that the UNFPA has been "the chief apologist and cheerleader for China's coercive one-child-per-couple policy" since 1979, when the policy was initiated. "Despite numerous credible forced abortion reports from impeccable sources, including human rights organizations like Amnesty International, journalists, former Chinese population control officials, and, above all, from the women victims themselves, high officials at UNFPA always dismiss and explain it all away. UNFPA has funded, provided crucial technical support, and, most importantly, provided cover for massive crimes of forced abortion and involuntary sterilization," said Smith in 2004.
Related LifeSiteNews coverage:
UNFPA Supports Coercive Family Planning-Including Forced Abortion-in China
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2001/oct/011005c.html
Former Head of UN Population Fund Reveals Longstanding Alliance with Catholics for a Free Choice
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/aug/07083103.html
United Nations Supports China's Population Program with Another $27 Million
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/feb/06020202.html
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