Wendy Sherman: “my predecessor, Congressman Tony Beilenson, served here for 20 years, and was one of the leading advocates of…”

“my predecessor, Congressman Tony Beilenson, served here for 20 years, and was one of the leading advocates of international family planning. In recognition of his legacy, my first speech on this floor is again in favor of international family planning, and in opposition to unwarranted restrictions on family planning that would be imposed by this proposal. International family planning brings together so many things that both I and many of my colleagues, and I think the vast majority of those in my district, care about. We care about the environment, and unless we do something to control the international population explosion, virtually all of our other environmental controls will simply be like taking a few buckets out of the ocean. We care about the dignity of women. Women in Third World countries acquire additional status, dignity and rights when they gain control of their own bodies and are afforded a full range of reproductive freedom. The other side has made this a debate on the choice issue. I do not think that it is. But to the extent that a no vote is an opportunity to say that we believe in a woman's right to choose, we have another good reason to vote against this proposal. This vote is a chance for us to stand for peace and development in the Third World, which can occur only if we deal with the population explosion which so tragically affects so many underdeveloped countries. It is a chance for us to deal with the illegal immigration problem.”