David Skaggs: “I strongly oppose the Smith, Barcia, Hyde, and Oberstar amendment. This amendment would reinstate the Mexico City…”

“I strongly oppose the Smith, Barcia, Hyde, and Oberstar amendment. This amendment would reinstate the Mexico City restrictions and prohibit U.S. funding to any private, nongovernmental, or multilateral organization that directly or indirectly performs abortions in a foreign country. But the 1973 Helms amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act already prohibits U.S. funds from being used to pay for abortions. This amendment would prevent U.S. assistance to agencies that--with their own funds, to U.S. funds--provide abortion counseling or services. The effect of this amendment would be to deny reproductive choice to women in other countries, not matter what their own beliefs, laws, and cultures have to say about this intensely personal and important issue. The amendment would also prohibit all United States funding for the U.N. Fund for Population Activities [UNFPA] unless it ceases activities in China. But UNFPA has no China program right now, and the authorization bill language already reduces United States contributions to UNFPA, dollar-for-dollar, for any amount UNFPA spends in the future on a China program--meaning that the United States will not be supporting the reprehensively forced-abortion policy. The Smith amendment cuts family planning--but it won't reduce abortions. Cutting family planning assistance will mean millions more unintended pregnancies--and more, not fewer abortions.”