The U.S. Senate could vote as early as today on a minibus spending bill that includes four measures that deeply concern pro-life advocates.
One is that the State/Foreign Operations section of the bill (S 1601) includes an amendment to permanently ban any future president from issuing an executive order to eliminate funding for groups that perform or promote abortions in other countries. The "Mexico City Policy" has been a political football between pro-abortion and pro-life presidents since Ronald Reagan established it through an executive order; now the Obama administration is hoping to enforce its abortion-friendly vision on all future administrations by making it a law.
The same section of the bill also sets aside $40 million for UNFPA, a non-governmental organization that supports and advocates for one-child abortion and sterilization policies abroad. The House State and Foreign Appropriations committee prohibits UNFPA funding for those reasons.
The Financial Services section of the bill (S 1573) allows local taxpayer funds from the District of Columbia to be used to subsidize elective abortions in the city. It also eliminates an amendment banning funding for abortions and abortion coverage in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.
The Senate voted 81-14 last week to limit debate and move forward with the measure. Debate began Monday in the Senate; if it passes the minibus, the bill will have to meet the approval of the more pro-life House before it can be signed into law.
Either way, the bill faces a contentious few days in the Senate.
"This is one of the more pro-abortion pieces of legislation since I've arrived here," Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., told Congressional Quarterly last week, noting that he'll make efforts to add pro-life amendments. "There's a half a dozen areas that would have problems in my judgment, so if this goes to the floor for debate, then my amendments would be to try to deal with one or more of those issues."
Should the House and Senate pass different versions of the bill this week, they will meet in a conference committee to work them out before voting on the final version.
Contact: Karla Dial
Source: CitizenLink
