Bush Administration Denies UNFPA Funding Again

Bush Administration Denies UNFPA Funding Again

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 1, 2003

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Bush continues to cut money from the United National Population Fund because of the agency's policy of supporting China's population control program that includes forced abortions and sterilizations.

At Bush's request, Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday denied the UNFPA $25 million in taxpayer funds. Bush withheld the same amount from the agency in 2002.

Instead, Bush would like the money to be routed to groups that provide basic health care assistance to impoverished people, notably for child survival and maternal health programs.

However, pro-abortion lawmakers may attempt to place a hold on the funds to keep them from being spent to save lives. In 2002, pro-abortion Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT) and pro-abortion Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) kept the funds from being distributed.

Bush's actions drew praise from pro-life groups.

"Despite constant attacks from ill-informed editorial writers and pro-abortion members of Congress, the Bush Administration refuses to give funds to [UNFPA] as long as that agency continues its support for China's population control program, which relies heavily upon compulsory abortion," National Right to Life's legislative director Douglas Johnson told LifeNews.com.

Last year the Bush administration determined that the UNFPA was violating the Kemp-Kasten law by tacitly supporting China's population control program. The pro-life law prohibits taxpayer funding of groups that engage in or support coercive abortions and sterilizations.

UNFPA continues to deny the charges and expand its participation in China's one-child policy. The agency could have complied with the law and received funding.

"President Bush deserves our thanks," said Steve Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute.

The funding cut comes on the two year anniversary of an investigation conducted by Mosher's group.

"On that day in 2001, investigator Josephine Guy courageously entered the Chinese Office of Family Planning and obtained photographs proving UNFPA complicity in China's forced abortion policy," Mosher explained.

"Later that day, Miss Guy interviewed women whose homes were destroyed because they became pregnant."

Despite UNFPA's insistence to Congress that it no longer aided China's program, Guy obtained over two dozen testimonies from witnesses and victims who said that coercion was as bad today in this UNFPA program as ever in the history of the one-child policy.

Some of the victims who were imprisoned, fined or had their homes destroyed lived a mile or less from the Office of Family Planning.

"The real winners of this decision not to fund UNFPA for 2003 are the women of the world, who are emboldened by the U.S. decision to not fund groups that collaborate with coercive and inhumane population controllers," added Bill Wichterman, an aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.


Enter your email address to receive news from LifeNews.com via email. Do you prefer to receive news daily or weekly? Daily Weekly Do you favor or oppose abortion? Favor Oppose Click here to make a PayPal donation to LifeNews.com!	Bush Administration Denies UNFPA Funding Again by Steven Ertelt LifeNews.com Editor October 1, 2003 Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Bush continues to cut money from the United National Population Fund because of the agency's policy of supporting China's population control program that includes forced abortions and sterilizations. At Bush's request, Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday denied the UNFPA $25 million in taxpayer funds. Bush withheld the same amount from the agency in 2002. Instead, Bush would like the money to be routed to groups that provide basic health care assistance to impoverished people, notably for child survival and maternal health programs. However, pro-abortion lawmakers may attempt to place a hold on the funds to keep them from being spent to save lives. In 2002, pro-abortion Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT) and pro-abortion Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) kept the funds from being distributed. Bush's actions drew praise from pro-life groups. "Despite constant attacks from ill-informed editorial writers and pro-abortion members of Congress, the Bush Administration refuses to give funds to [UNFPA] as long as that agency continues its support for China's population control program, which relies heavily upon compulsory abortion," National Right to Life's legislative director Douglas Johnson told LifeNews.com. Last year the Bush administration determined that the UNFPA was violating the Kemp-Kasten law by tacitly supporting China's population control program. The pro-life law prohibits taxpayer funding of groups that engage in or support coercive abortions and sterilizations. UNFPA continues to deny the charges and expand its participation in China's one-child policy. The agency could have complied with the law and received funding. "President Bush deserves our thanks," said Steve Mosher, president of the Population Research Institute. The funding cut comes on the two year anniversary of an investigation conducted by Mosher's group. "On that day in 2001, investigator Josephine Guy courageously entered the Chinese Office of Family Planning and obtained photographs proving UNFPA complicity in China's forced abortion policy," Mosher explained. "Later that day, Miss Guy interviewed women whose homes were destroyed because they became pregnant." Despite UNFPA's insistence to Congress that it no longer aided China's program, Guy obtained over two dozen testimonies from witnesses and victims who said that coercion was as bad today in this UNFPA program as ever in the history of the one-child policy. Some of the victims who were imprisoned, fined or had their homes destroyed lived a mile or less from the Office of Family Planning. "The real winners of this decision not to fund UNFPA for 2003 are the women of the world, who are emboldened by the U.S. decision to not fund groups that collaborate with coercive and inhumane population controllers," added Bill Wichterman, an aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.