Senate committee votes to overturn Trump administration’s overseas pro-life initiatives

A U.S. Senate committee passed an amendment last week that would wipe out all of President Donald J. Trump’s pro-life protections in foreign aid. Abortion advocates claim it was a sharp bipartisan rebuke to the President, but its main goal appears to be red meat for the Democratic base since the measure has no chance of moving forward.

The FY’18 State and Foreign Operations (SFOPs) was passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee containing a hostile amendment by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) that reverses the prohibition on overseas abortion funds, increases family planning funding, and restores funding to the controversial United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Shaheen’s amendment passed in a close 16-15 vote due to support from Republican Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Pro-life Democrat Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) opposed it. The SFOPs bill funds overseas diplomacy, humanitarian and global health assistance.

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