Tom Lantos: “the issue we are debating today is not abortion, it is family planning. Equally important, everyone who will be voting…”

“the issue we are debating today is not abortion, it is family planning. Equally important, everyone who will be voting on this amendment today needs to know that the ban on international family planning assistance is more restrictive than any this House has voted on before. If this amendment passes, the global gag rule will go back into effect. This policy disqualifies overseas groups from U.S. planning assistance if they use their own funds simply to counsel pregnant women on all their pregnancy options, including birth control. The distinguished gentleman from Illinois said, well, birth control will still be there. These workers just will not be able to tell the women about it. Well, that is really helpful, if the birth control is sitting there in the drawer and no one can tell them about it. The truth is, we all do share one goal today. The goal we share is reducing abortion overseas. There is one way to reduce abortion overseas, and that is family planning. Vote ``no'' on the Hyde amendment, and let us keep family planning available to women around the globe.”