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Senate passes foreign aid bill lifting curbs on family planning funds

WASHINGTON, 6. September: The US Senate voted Thursday to lift restrictions on family planning aid to overseas health organizations that perform abortions or promote the procedure as a method of family planning.

The vote came as the Senate passed by a 81-12 vote a 34 billion US dollar measure funding foreign aid and US diplomacy. Companion legislation passed the House in June, and the measure now heads to House-Senate negotiations over a final version.

On the family planning vote, Democratic senator Barbara Boxer won a 53-41 tally reversing US policy regarding aid to pro-abortion groups. But Boxers move has dim prospects of becoming law. President Bush is a passionate advocate of the current policy and has promised to veto any attempt to undermine it.

Such veto threats also apply to the underlying bill covering foreign aid and the State Department budget. It would ease the restrictions to permit family planning groups cut off from US aid to accept US-donated contraceptives.

Boxer complained that overseas family planning groups are blocked from counseling women about abortion or from participating in debates about abortion policy in their own countries if they want to hold onto their US aid.

– The policy literally gags foreign organizations that receive (U.S.) family planning funds, Boxer said.

The vote to overturn the so-called Mexico City policy named after the population conference where President Reagan announced it was expected. Boxer had prevailed on a 52-46 vote two years ago and her position was strengthened by the results of last fall’s elections that gave Democrats control of the Senate.

But by a 48-45 vote, the Republicans narrowly won a bid aimed at continuing Bush administration policy barring US contributions to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) because of aid provided to China, whose population-control program relies on coerced abortions. The Democrats had sought to permit US contributions, arguing that the family planning funds could prevent abortions in China.

The overall bill would cut Bushs chief foreign aid program to help emerging democracies. It also would funnel more money to fight AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis around the world.

Bush requested 3 billion dollar for the Millennium Challenge Corp., a program that assists countries in putting in place economic and political reforms. That total would fall to 1,2 billion under the Senate bill. The administration has been slow to spend earlier money for the program.

The spending measure would boost Bushs 4,2 billion dollar request for the global HIV/AIDS account by 940 million. Lawmakers are adding 590 million dollar to the administrations request for a global fund to combat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria – enough money to almost triple it.

Altogether, however, the Senate would cut Bushs request for foreign aid and the State Department budget by about 700 million dollar, transferring money to domestic accounts favored on Capitol Hill.

The bill also provides military aid to familiar allies in the Middle East. Israel would receive 2,4 billion dollar, while Egypt receives 1,3 billion. Afghanistan would receive about 1,1 billion for humanitarian assistance and reconstruction aid.

But the Senate joined the House in denying the administrations 456 million dollar request for aid to Iraq; 2,8 billion in Iraq reconstruction aid provided in May has yet to be spent.

Kilde: The Push Journal