Chris Smith: “Let me just speak for a moment to my friends who may feel they can somehow rationalize voting ``yes'' on Gilman-Pelosi…”

“Let me just speak for a moment to my friends who may feel they can somehow rationalize voting ``yes'' on Gilman-Pelosi and ``yes'' on the underlying pro-life amendment. Please do not. It is not honest law making. If you are against pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into the abortion industry overseas, the only honest vote is ``no'' on Gilman-Pelosi and ``yes'' on Smith-Barcia-Hyde-Oberstar. Today, Mr. Chairman, the pro-life laws and policies of almost 100 countries that restrict abortion are under siege and the engine driving this global pro-abortion push are the nongovernmental organizations funded by the U.S. Government. Our amendment permits the flow of funds only to those organizations that provide only family planning and not abortion. The innocent children are not put at risk. Who we subsidize, not just what, but who we subsidize does matter and who we give millions of dollars to does matter. Mr. Chairman, the simple fact of the matter is the long-standing law that no U.S. funds can be directly used for abortion was found to be incomplete. It was like Swiss cheese. The organizations were doing abortions on demand and yet seemingly adhering to the letter of the law with regards to the Helms amendment. That is why we have the Mexico City policy. We do not want to put these unborn children at risk.”