Life Advocacy Briefing

Trouble in the Senate

LIBERALS IN THE U.S. SENATE ARE CHOPPING AWAY at the pro-life reforms which have long been incorporated into the State Department’s foreign aid spending laws.

The latest assault on established pro-life policy was undertaken by the Senate Committee on Appropriations, which did its dirty work on June 28, just before the Independence Day recess.

Calls are needed to Senators as they reconvene this week, asking them to vote “no” on the State Dept. appropriation bill unless it has been amended to restore the “Mexico City” policy and “Kemp/Kasten.” Senators may be reached via the Capitol switchboard at 1-202/224-3121.

‘Mexico City’

THE ‘MEXICO CITY’ POLICY IS THE SPENDING LIMIT which liberals in the House have just successfully attacked. We publish at the close of this Life Advocacy Briefing the House voting records related to the two amendments the House acted on June 21.

The language which emerged from the Senate Appropriations Committee late last month is the same as the House-adopted “Lowey Amendment.” It opens the door to US aid to International Planned Parenthood Federation and other “family planning” outfits which commit abortion and lobby to undermine pro-life policies in the countries where they operate.

‘Kemp/Kasten’

‘KEMP/KASTEN’ IS A TWO-DECADES-PLUS LAW which bars US foreign aid spending to any organization which “supports or participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization,” such as Red China’s brutal one-child campaign.

The Senate committee has stripped Kemp/Kasten’s enforcement provision by deleting the President’s critical authority to block the spending of certain appropriated funds – such as those designated for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) – based on the grantee’s complicity in programs of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.

Since UN backers routinely hold enough power in Congress to approve such spending, the authority being crippled by the Senate is invoked every year by Pres. George W. Bush to protect American taxpayers from complicity in UN-abetted pogroms and, of course, to seek to protect their victims.

The Senate panel’s language takes authority completely away from the President and pretends to bar spending “to any organization or program which directly supports coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization” – a watered-down provision left with no teeth and which implicitly authorizes grants to organizations which aid such pogroms indirectly, as UNFPA does the Red Chinese regime.

Disturbing Motivation?

CUSTOMARILY, WE PUBLISH DEBATE EXCERPTS from speeches by pro-life Members of Congress, to assist our readers in understanding the various implications of issues, to give credit to those Members who stand up for Life, and to offer models of pro-life communication. We hope space in future editions will enable us to publish excerpts from pro-life speeches on the Mexico City amendments in the House.

But here we are going to depart from our custom and publish the speech of an abortion-backing Member of Congress. We publish this speech by Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) not as a model but as an example of the dark, arrogant point of view of those abortion advocates whom we see as motivated by socio/economic bigotry and an example of their imperialistic attitude of paternalism toward families in developing countries. Read Rep. Kirk’s words carefully, and see whether you can discern the underlying message which only he was blatant enough to utter.

Remarks by Rep. Mark Kirk, in June 21, 2007, House debate on the Lowey Amendment to the State Dept. Appropriation bill; source: Congressional Record

Mr. Kirk: Mr. Chairman, I want to rise and maybe remove some of the partisan tension as a Republican Member in support of this amendment that otherwise, without action, the global gag rule* would cut off critical providers of family planning assistance.

In this Congress the issue of illegal immigration is at the top of our agenda. And women in developing countries consistently report that they would like to have two to three children rather than five to seven.

As population pressures rise, so does the move to enter the United States, legally or illegally. To reduce the illegal immigration pressure on our borders, we need short-term solutions like border enforcement and long-term solutions like backing voluntary family planning to help women in developing countries have the smaller family that they want.

The global gag rule* has been used to cut off the International Planned Parenthood Federation because it used less than 1% of its own privately raised funds for abortion-related services. And when we cut off IPPF, we might have another provider of family planning assistance** to the women of Mexico for example, like the UNFPA, but we cut them off too.

Mr. Chairman, I would argue that the American people would strongly agree with the principle that if Mexican women wanted to have fewer children, then we should help them.

Voluntary family planning would boost child survival rates. It would also lower the rate of growth of Mexico’s population. A slower rate of growth of Mexico’s population would improve the economy of Mexico.*** It would also reduce the environmental pressure on Mexico’s ecosystem. But a slower rate of growth would also reduce the long-term illegal immigration pressure on America’s borders.

We should adopt this bipartisan [Lowey] amendment. We should help women in developing countries have the smaller families that they want. We should adopt policies which reduce the population pressure on our own borders with a policy that supports the rights of women and lowers the pressure on our environment.

I commend [Mrs. Lowey] for offering this amendment.

* “Global gag rule” is the abortion industry’s charming label for the Mexico City Policy.

** The State Dept. appropriation does allocate funding for “provider[s] of family planning assistance” – but not the grantees which commit abortions or seek to overturn anti-abortion laws.

*** Most economists agree that a growing population is necessary for a growing economy. It is Mexico’s corruption and lack of capitalism which suppresses what could be a robust economy there.

House Voting Records

Lowey Amendment to State Dept. Appropriation – HR-2764 – requiring American taxpayers to furnish contraceptives to nongovernmental organizations which commit or promote abortions overseas – June 21, 2007 – Adopted 223-201 (Democrats in italics)

Voting “no” / pro-life: Aderholt, Akin, Alexander, Altmire, Bachmann, Bachus, Baker, Barrett (SC), Bartlett (MD), Barton (TX), Bilbray, Bilirakis, Bishop (UT), Blackburn, Blunt, Boehner, Boozman, Boren, Boustany, Brady (TX), Brown (SC), Ginny Brown-Waite, Buchanan, Burgess, Burton (IN), Buyer, Calvert, Camp (MI), Campbell (CA), Cannon, Cantor, Carter, Chabot, Coble, Cole (OK), Conaway, Costello, Crenshaw, Culberson, Davis (KY), David Davis, Lincoln Davis, Deal (GA), Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, Donnelly, Doolittle, Drake, Dreier, Duncan, Ehlers, Ellsworth, Emerson, English (PA), Everett, Fallin, Feeney, Ferguson, Flake, Forbes, Fortenberry, Fossella, Foxx, Franks (AZ), Gallegly, Garrett (NJ), Gerlach, Gillmor, Gingrey, Gohmert, Goode, Goodlatte, Graves, Hall (TX), Hastert, Hastings (WA), Hayes, Heller, Hensarling, Herger, Hoekstra, Holden, Hulshof, Inglis (SC), Issa, Jindal, Johnson (IL), Sam Johnson, Jones (NC), Jordan, Kanjorski, Kaptur, Keller, Kildee, King (IA), King (NY), Kingston, Kline (MN), Knollenberg, Kuhl (NY), LaHood, Lamborn, Latham, LaTourette, Lewis (CA), Lewis (KY), Linder, Lipinski, LoBiondo, Lucas, Lungren, Mack, Manzullo, Marchant, Marshall, McCarthy (CA), McCaul, McCotter, McCrery, McHenry, McHugh, McIntyre, McKeon, McMorris-Rodgers, Melancon, Mica, Gary Miller, Miller (FL), Miller (MI), Mollohan, Moran (KS), Tim Murphy, Murtha, Musgrave, Myrick, Neugebauer, Nunes, Pearce, Pence, Peterson(MN), Peterson (PA), Petri, Pitts, Platts, Poe, Porter, Price (GA), Putnam, Radanovich, Rahall, Regula, Rehberg, Reichert, Renzi, Reynolds, Rogers (AL), Rogers (KY), Rogers (MI), Rohrabacher, Ros-Lehtinen, Roskam, Royce, Ryan (WI), Sali, Saxton, Schmidt, Sensenbrenner, Sessions, Shadegg, Shimkus, Shuler, Shuster, Skelton, Smith (NE), Smith (NJ), Smith (TX), Souder, Stearns, Stupak, Tancredo, Taylor, Terry, Thornberry, Tiahrt, Tiberi, Turner, Walberg, Walsh (NY), Wamp, Weldon (FL), Weller, Westmoreland, Whitfield, Wicker, Wilson (NM), Wilson (OH), Wilson (SC), Wolf, Young (AK), Young (FL)

Voting “yes” / anti-life:Abercrombie, Ackerman, Allen, Andrews, Arcuri, Baca, Baird, Baldwin, Barrow, Bean, Becerra, Berkley, Berman, Berry, Biggert, Bishop (GA), Bishop (NY), Blumenauer, Bono, Boswell, Boucher, Boyd (FL), Boyda (KS), Brady (PA), Braley (IA), Corrine Brown, Butterfield, Capito, Capps, Capuano, Cardoza, Carnahan, Carney, Carson, Castle, Castor, Chandler, Clarke, Clay, Cleaver, Clyburn, Cohen, Conyers, Cooper, Costa, Courtney, Crowley, Cuellar, Cummings, Davis (CA), Davis (IL), Tom Davis, DeFazio, DeGette, Delahunt, DeLauro, Dent, Dicks, Dingell, Doggett, Doyle, Edwards, Ellison, Emanuel, Engel, Eshoo, Etheridge, Farr, Fattah, Filner, Frank (MA), Frelinghuysen, Giffords, Gilchrest, Gillibrand, Gonzalez, Gordon, Granger, Al Green, Gene Green, Grijalva, Gutierrez, Hall (NY), Hare, Harmon, Hastings (FL), Herseth-Sandlin, Higgins, Hill, Hinchey, Hinojosa, Hirono, Hobson, Hodes, Holt, Honda, Hooley, Hoyer, Inslee, Israel, Jackson (IL), Jackson-Lee, Jefferson, Johnson (GA), E. B. Johnson, Jones (OH), Kagen, Kennedy, Kilpatrick, Kind, Kirk, Klein (FL), Kucinich, Lampson, Langevin, Lantos, Larsen (WA), Larson (CT), Lee, Levin, Lewis (GA), Loebsack, Lofgren, Lowey, Lynch, Mahoney (FL), Maloney (NY), Markey, Matheson, Matsui, McCarthy (NY), McCollum (MN), McDermott, McGovern, McNerney, McNulty, Meehan, Meek (FL), Meeks (NY), Michaud, George Miller, Miller (NC), Mitchell, Moore (KS), Moore (WI), Moran (VA), Murphy (CT), Patrick Murphy, Nadler, Napolitano, Neal (MA), Oberstar, Obey, Olver, Pallone, Pascrell, Pastor, Payne, Pelosi, Perlmutter, Pomeroy, Price (NC), Pryce (OH), Ramstad, Rangel, Reyes, Rodriguez, Ross, Rothman, Roybal-Allard, Ruppersberger, Rush, Ryan (OH), Salazar, Linda Sanchez, Sarbanes, Schakowsky, Schiff, Schwartz, Scott (GA), Scott (VA), Serrano, Sestak, Shays, Shea-Porter, Sherman, Sires, Slaughter, Smith (WA), Snyder, Solis, Space, Spratt, Stark, Sutton, Tanner, Tauscher, Thompson (CA), Thompson (MS), Tierney, Towns, Udall (CO), Udall (NM), Upton, VanHollen, Velazquez, Visclosky, Walden (OR), Walz (MN), Wasserman-Schultz, Waters, Watson, Watt, Waxman,Welch (VT), Wexler, Woolsey, Wu, Wynn, Yarmuth

Not voting: Bonner, Cramer, Cubin, Davis (AL), JoAnn Davis, Hunter, Ortiz, Paul, Pickering, Loretta Sanchez, Simpson, Sullivan, Weiner

Smith Amendment to State Dept. Appropriation – HR-2764 – seeking to restore ‘Mexico City’ Policy protecting American taxpayers from being required to aid nongovernmental organizations which commit or promote abortions overseas – June 21, 2007 – Failed 205-218 (Democrats in italics)

Voting “yes” / pro-life: Aderholt, Akin, Alexander, Altmire, Bachmann, Bachus, Baker, Barrett (SC), Bartlett (MD), Barton (TX), Bilbray, Bilirakis, Bishop (UT), Blackburn, Blunt, Boehner, Boozman, Boren, Boustany, Brady (TX), Brown (SC), Ginny Brown-Waite, Buchanan, Burgess, Burton (IN), Buyer, Calvert, Camp (MI), Campbell (CA), Cannon, Cantor, Capito, Carter, Chabot, Coble, Cole (OK), Conaway, Costello, Crenshaw, Culberson, Davis (KY), David Davis, Lincoln Davis, Deal (GA), Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, Donnelly, Doolittle, Drake, Dreier, Duncan, Ehlers, Ellsworth, Emerson, English (PA), Everett, Fallin, Feeney, Ferguson, Flake, Forbes, Fortenberry, Fossella, Foxx, Franks (AZ), Gallegly, Garrett (NJ), Gerlach, Gillmor, Gingrey, Gohmert, Goode, Goodlatte, Granger, Graves, Hall (TX), Hastert, Hastings (WA), Hayes, Heller, Hensarling, Herger, Hobson, Hoekstra, Holden, Hulshof, Inglis (SC), Issa, Jindal, Johnson (IL), Sam Johnson, Jones (NC), Jordan, Kanjorski, Kaptur, Keller, Kildee, King (IA), King (NY), Kingston, Kline (MN), Knollenberg, Kuhl (NY), LaHood, Lamborn, Latham, LaTourette, Lewis (CA), Lewis (KY), Linder, Lipinski, LoBiondo, Lucas, Lungren, Mack, Manzullo, Marchant, Marshall, McCarthy (CA), McCaul, McCotter, McCrery, McHenry, McHugh, McIntyre, McKeon, McMorris-Rodgers, Melancon, Mica, Gary Miller, Miller (FL), Miller (MI), Mollohan, Moran (KS), Tim Murphy, Murtha, Musgrave, Myrick, Neugebauer, Nunes, Oberstar, Pearce, Pence, Peterson(MN), Peterson (PA), Petri, Pitts, Platts, Poe, Porter, Price (GA), Putnam, Radanovich, Rahall, Regula, Rehberg, Reichert, Renzi, Reynolds, Rogers (AL), Rogers (KY), Rogers (MI), Rohrabacher, Ros-Lehtinen, Roskam, Royce, Ryan (WI), Sali, Saxton, Schmidt, Sensenbrenner, Sessions, Shadegg, Shimkus, Shuler, Shuster, Skelton, Smith (NE), Smith (NJ), Smith (TX), Souder, Stearns, Stupak, Tancredo, Taylor, Terry, Thornberry, Tiahrt, Tiberi, Turner, Upton, Walberg, Walsh (NY), Wamp, Weldon (FL), Weller, Westmoreland, Wicker, Wilson (NM), Wilson (OH), Wilson (SC), Wolf, Young (AK), Young (FL)

Voting “no” / anti-life:Abercrombie, Ackerman, Allen, Andrews, Arcuri, Baca, Baird, Baldwin, Barrow, Bean, Becerra, Berkley, Berman, Berry, Biggert, Bishop (GA), Bishop (NY), Blumenauer, Bono, Boswell, Boucher, Boyd (FL), Boyda (KS), Brady (PA), Braley (IA), Corrine Brown, Butterfield, Capps, Capuano, Cardoza, Carnahan, Carney, Carson, Castle, Castor, Chandler, Clarke, Clay, Cleaver, Clyburn, Cohen, Conyers, Cooper, Costa, Courtney, Crowley, Cuellar, Cummings, Davis (AL), Davis (CA), Davis (IL), Tom Davis, DeFazio, DeGette, Delahunt, DeLauro, Dent, Dicks, Dingell, Doggett, Doyle, Edwards, Ellison, Emanuel, Engel, Eshoo, Etheridge, Farr, Fattah, Filner, Frank (MA), Frelinghuysen, Giffords, Gilchrest, Gillibrand, Gonzalez, Gordon, Al Green, Gene Green, Grijalva, Gutierrez, Hall (NY), Hare, Harmon, Hastings (FL), Herseth-Sandlin, Higgins, Hill, Hinchey, Hinojosa, Hirono, Hodes, Holt, Honda, Hooley, Hoyer, Inslee, Israel, Jackson (IL), Jackson-Lee, Jefferson, Johnson (GA), E. B. Johnson, Jones (OH), Kagen, Kennedy, Kilpatrick, Kind, Kirk, Klein (FL), Kucinich, Lampson, Langevin, Lantos, Larsen (WA), Larson (CT), Lee, Levin, Lewis (GA), Loebsack, Lofgren, Lowey, Lynch, Mahoney (FL), Maloney (NY), Markey, Matheson, Matsui, McCarthy (NY), McCollum (MN), McDermott, McGovern, McNerney, McNulty, Meehan, Meek (FL), Meeks (NY), Michaud, George Miller, Miller (NC), Mitchell, Moore (KS), Moore (WI), Moran (VA), Murphy (CT), Patrick Murphy, Nadler, Napolitano, Neal (MA), Obey, Olver, Pallone, Pascrell, Pastor, Payne, Perlmutter, Pomeroy, Price (NC), Pryce (OH), Ramstad, Rangel, Reyes, Rodriguez, Ross, Rothman, Roybal-Allard, Ruppersberger, Rush, Ryan (OH), Salazar, Linda Sanchez, Sarbanes, Schakowsky, Schiff, Schwartz, Scott (GA), Scott (VA), Serrano, Sestak, Shays, Shea-Porter, Sherman, Sires, Slaughter, Smith (WA), Snyder, Solis, Space, Spratt, Stark, Sutton, Tanner, Tauscher, Thompson (CA), Thompson (MS), Tierney, Towns, Udall (CO), Udall (NM), VanHollen, Velazquez, Visclosky, Walden (OR), Walz (MN), Wasserman-Schultz, Waters, Watson, Watt, Waxman,Welch (VT), Wexler, Woolsey, Wu, Wynn, Yarmuth

Not voting: Bonner, Cramer, Cubin, JoAnn Davis, Hunter, Ortiz, Paul, Pelosi, Pickering, Loretta Sanchez, Simpson, Sullivan, Weiner, Whitfield