Political Quotes

“I support the Smith-Oberstar-Hyde amendment which removes the Crowley amendment. The Crowley amendment to H.R. 1950 renders impotent previous language known as the Kemp-Kasten anti-coercion provision, a long-standing provision that allows the President to withhold funding from organizations and programs that were supporters or participants in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization. The Crowley amendment replaces this easy-to-use oversight language with language that would make it virtually impossible to pull the plug on funding to questionable organizations, by requiring they 'knowingly and intentionally' support the coercive program being carried out. Should not the fact that an organization merely subsidizes the effort of coercive abortions or forced sterilization be enough of a connection to make their hands too dirty to be trusted with taxpayer money? The knowingly and intentionally standard is difficult and perhaps impossible to prove. It would allow offenders to invade the prohibition and receive United States tax dollars to subsidize forced abortions and sterilizations.”