House approves bill that would allow contraceptive donations to international groups barred from funding

The House on Thursday voted 241-178 to approve a fiscal year 2008 foreign aid spending bill that would allow the federal government to give contraceptives but not money to international groups barred from receiving U.S. aid because of their abortion policies, the Washington Post reports (Williamson, Washington Post, 6/22).

The so-called "Mexico City" policy bars U.S. funding from going to international groups that support abortion, even with their own money, through direct services, counseling or lobbying activities. The policy was originally implemented by former President Reagan at a population conference in Mexico City in 1984, removed by former President Clinton and reinstated by President Bush during the first days of his presidency. Bush in September 2003 issued an executive order that prevents the State Department from giving family planning grants to international groups that provide abortion-related counseling.

Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, recently said the legislation leaves the Mexico City policy intact, but Republicans disagreed and cited a threat by Bush to veto legislation that would change current abortion-related policies and laws. Bush last month in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said he will veto any legislation that would weaken federal policies or laws on abortion, including measures that would "allow taxpayer dollars to be used for the destruction of human life" (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 6/13).

According to the AP/Guardian, 207 Democrats and 16 Republicans voted in favor of the bill. Twenty-four Democrats and 177 Republicans voted against the measure, and more than a dozen members did not vote, the AP/Guardian reports (Flaherty, AP/Guardian, 6/22). The House voted 218-205 against an amendment, introduced by Reps. Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) and Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), that would have reinforced the existing policy, CongressDaily reports (Cohn, CongressDaily, 6/22). The Senate tentatively plans to vote on its version of the foreign aid spending measure on Thursday, the Los Angeles Times reports (Havemann, Los Angeles Times, 6/22).

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Lowey said the provision provides easier access to contraception and the bill would help reduce abortions, unintended pregnancies and the spread of HIV. "This amendment would advance the Bush administration's stated goal of the Mexico City policy to 'make abortion more rare,' and protect women and children," she said, adding, "It is simply not enough to say you support family planning, so long as the current restrictions remain in law" (Lengell, Washington Times, 6/22). Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.), who opposes abortion rights, said he supports the bill because it would "allow ... critical lifesaving assistance to reach those who desperately need it" (CongressDaily, 6/22).

Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) said the "Mexico City policy exists to draw a bright line between U.S. family planning policy and abortion." He added, "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" (AP/Guardian, 6/22). House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said, "This bill represents an unconscionable policy reversal that dramatically weakens current pro-life policies" (Washington Post, 6/22).

NPR's "Morning Edition" on Friday reported on the House bill, as well as a Senate appropriations bill that contains provisions related to embryonic stem cell research. The segment includes comments from Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), Pitts, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) (Rovner, "Morning Edition," NPR, 6/22). Audio of the segment is available online.