President Obama rescinded the Mexico City Policy last Friday, January 23, 2009, allowing U.S. international aid dollars to flow to nongovernmental organizations that perform or promote abortions abroad.
Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL)
This policy is not about reducing aid. It is instead about ensuring that family planning funds are given to organizations dedicated to reducing abortions instead of promoting them.
The Martinez amendment failed by a vote of 37-60.
Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) was joined by Congressmen Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Bart Stupak (D-MI) and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), in introducing H.R. 708, aimed at restoring the abortion-neutral Mexico City Policy. This 25-year old guideline establishes a wall of separation between abortion and family planning by ensuring that U.S. international family planning funds directed to foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) could not be used to actively promote or perform abortion as a method of family planning.
This bill would reverse one of the first acts of newly sworn-in President Barack Obama, who quietly issued an edict late Friday, Jan. 23, to allow U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund radically pro-abortion organizations around the world.
Smith, a long time champion of the Mexico City Policy defended the policy in the House during the Reagan and both Bush administrations and introduced Amendments to restore the policy throughout the Clinton administration.
Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ)
One of President Barrack Obama's first acts in office was to issue an executive order to allow U.S. taxpayer money to flow to groups that perform abortions or actively work to overturn pro-life laws all over the world. It's a sad statement about his list of priorities. With Americans facing an economic crisis the likes of which we've not seen in generations, he chooses to enact a policy that will redirect funds to foreign organizations promoting and conducting abortions.
The Mexico City Policy represents common ground. It has allowed the US to substantially fund international family planning without padding the budgets of radical groups intent on spreading the scourge of abortion. Under the Mexico City policy, funding for family planning was not reduced one penny. The President's decision will shift U.S. funding from true family planning programs to programs that provide and promote abortion with little or no regard for the sovereignty of democratic nations that oppose abortion as a method of family planning.
Congressmen Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI)
With one swift stroke of his pen, our new President gave the green light for the execution of thousands of pre-born children whose parents will find it easier to deny them the right to enter this world. I can think of no clearer signal to illustrate our changing times, and highlight the fact that after 14 years of relatively easy times, we pro-lifers now face a huge challenge in our cause to protect the life of the innocent unborn children who have no voice but ours to speak out for their survival.
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
An amendment introduced by Sen. Roger Wicker to the omnibus spending bill, seeking to prohibit the UNFPA from receiving U.S. funding, was defeated March 5, 2009 in a 55-39 vote.
Passing the amendment would effectively have stopped $50 million in the omnibus bill from going to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), an organization that has been shown to be involved in the implementation of China's one-child policy, which includes coercive abortion and sterilization practices.
Rejecting the amendment goes right past the moderate "a woman should have the right to choose" political position to the radical "a government should have the power to force abortion and sterilization in order to control population" political position.
Overview of 2010 US Senate elections for potentially 37 seats
Democratic incumbents
Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas
Barbara Boxer of California
Michael Bennet of Colorado
Christopher Dodd of Connecticut
Daniel Inouye of Hawaii
Roland Burris of Illinois
Evan Bayh of Indiana
Barbara Mikulski of Maryland
Harry Reid of Nevada
Kirsten Gillibrand of New York
Chuck Schumer of New York
Byron Dorgan of North Dakota
Ron Wyden of Oregon
Patrick Leahy of Vermont
Patty Murray of Washington
Russ Feingold of Wisconsin
Republican incumbents
Richard Shelby of Alabama
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
John McCain of Arizona
Johnny Isakson of Georgia
Mike Crapo of Idaho
Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Jim Bunning of Kentucky
David Vitter of Louisiana
Judd Gregg of New Hampshire
Richard Burr of North Carolina
Tom Coburn of Oklahoma
Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania
Jim DeMint of South Carolina
John Thune of South Dakota
Bob Bennett of Utah
Retiring Senators
Ted Kaufman (D) of Delaware
Kit Bond (R) of Missouri
Sam Brownback (R) of Kansas
Mel Martinez (R) of Florida
George Voinovich (R) of Ohio
Judd Gregg (R) of New Hampshire
Rumored to be out of the Senate
Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) of Texas (to become Governor instead of Senator)
Johnny Isakson (R) of Georgia (to become Governor instead of Senator)
Jim Bunning (R) of Kentucky (retire)
Tom Coburn (R) of Oklahoma (retire)
The vile Senators on my list who voted Nay on the Mel Martinez amendment
Lisa Murkowski (R) of Alaska
Blanche Lincoln (D) of Arkansas
Barbara Boxer (D) of California
Michael Bennet (D) of Colorado
Christopher Dodd (D) of Connecticut
Ted Kaufman (D) of Delaware
Daniel Inouye (D) of Hawaii
Roland Burris (D) of Illinois
Evan Bayh (D) of Indiana
Barbara Mikulski (D) of Maryland
Harry Reid (D) of Nevada
Kirsten Gillibrand (D) of New York
Chuck Schumer (D) of New York
Byron Dorgan (D) of North Dakota
Ron Wyden (D) of Oregon
Arlen Specter (R) of Pennsylvania
Patrick Leahy (D) of Vermont
Patty Murray (D) of Washington
Russ Feingold (D) of Wisconsin
The even more vile Senators on my list who voted Nay on the Roger Wicker amendment
Blanche Lincoln (D) of Arkansas
Barbara Boxer (D) of California
Michael Bennet (D) of Colorado
Christopher Dodd (D) of Connecticut
Ted Kaufman (D) of Delaware
Daniel Inouye (D) of Hawaii
Roland Burris (D) of Illinois
Barbara Mikulski (D) of Maryland
Harry Reid (D) of Nevada
Kirsten Gillibrand (D) of New York
Chuck Schumer (D) of New York
Byron Dorgan (D) of North Dakota
Ron Wyden (D) of Oregon
Arlen Specter (R) of Pennsylvania
Patrick Leahy (D) of Vermont
Patty Murray (D) of Washington
Russ Feingold (D) of Wisconsin
So I have a list of 17 Ds and 2 Rs that the Right to Life organizations should wish to see voted out of office in 2010. I encourage all who care about this issue to save this list of Senators who were on the wrong side of these two important amendments. There will be more important votes coming up between now and November, 2010. I recognize that sometimes it just feels like an exercise in futility to defeat an incumbent US Senator, but the importance of the issues require that we must exercise.
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