Barbara Mikulski: “I support the release of funds for international family planning. This program is essential to enabling the world's…”

“I support the release of funds for international family planning. This program is essential to enabling the world's poorest women to improve their lives--and the lives of their families. Over the past 2 years, Congress has drastically cut funds for international family planning--and has put barriers in the way of implementing the program. We have tied our international family planning program in knots--and are denying health care to the world's poorest women. Today we will vote to right part of this wrong. We are not voting to increase international family planning. We are simply voting to release the funds--so that our family planning program will no longer be held hostage. What do the cuts and delays in funding mean for poor women? The Alan Guttmacher Institute estimates that it means that 7 million couples in developing countries will no longer have access to contraceptives. There could be almost 2 million unplanned births. And there could be up to 1.6 million additional abortions. When we deny a woman the right to choose whether or not to have children, we deny her the right to control and improve her life. We deny her the right to help herself and her family. Those who oppose international family planning assistance claim to want to reduce the number of abortions. But the effect of our policies is just the opposite. Family planning prevents unwanted pregnancies and abortions.”