I [Christ] have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. - John 10:10

Foreign Aid Bill Retains Mexico City Policy, Cuts UNFPA Money

Washington, DC -- The House of Representatives voted on Wednesday for a long-delayed $15.3 billion foreign aid spending bill that retains the pro-life Mexico City Policy and makes further cuts in taxpayer money directed to the UNFPA, which supports China's policy of coercive abortions. On a 357-66 vote, the House backed a fiscal 2002 foreign aid measure that retains President Bush's ban on U.S. funds for family planning groups that perform or advocate abortions overseas -- the subject of an annual congressional dispute that stalled the bill for more than a month. Bush indicated numerous times during the year that he would veto the bill if it did not contain his pro- life policy. Most of the bill's elements had been agreed by House-Senate negotiators last month, with the dispute over family planning funds holding up final passage until Wednesday. The Senate is expected to take up the measure on Thursday and send it to Bush for his signature. House-Senate negotiators agreed last month to drop the pro-abortion Senate provision overturning Bush's ban on giving U.S. funds to groups that perform or advocate abortions overseas, but hit a snag over the funds allocated to the U.N. Fund for Population Activities. Pro-life Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) objected to Senate plans to boost the budget by $12.5 million for the UNFPA, which he and other pro-life lawmakers point out backs forced abortion programs in China. A final compromise hammered out early on Wednesday cut the UNFPA budget by another $3.5 million to $34 million as a penalty for supporting the forced abortion policy. The Senate had voted to overturn Bush's pro-life Mexico City Policy. President Bush made restoring the Mexico City Policy his first official executive action as President. The House in May had narrowly backed Bush's decision. The abortion rule, announced by then President Ronald Reagan at a Mexico City conference in 1984 and rescinded by Bill Clinton when he was president in 1993, has been the focus of annual legislative battles in Congress. [LifeNews.com December 20, 2001] Reprinted with permission by LifeNews.com

News Shortcut: http://www.christianliferesources.com?3265

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