Madeline Albright Bashes President Bush on Intl Abortion Funding 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
June 7, 2005
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright attacked President Bush’s position against using taxpayer dollars to fund groups that perform or promote abortions in other countries. At a health conference, the former Clinton administration official said the position goes against women.
Albright claims Bush’s policy is anti-woman because it prevents women from being able to make health medial choices.
"We need political leaders committed to giving women the power to choose,” Albright said.
Marie Smith, the international director for Feminists for Life of America, commended President Bush for his abortion policy that "has helped to save women and children from the destruction of abortion."
"As women we recognize that abortion is not only violence against women and children but it discriminates and is unjust," Smith said. "As we learn more about the tragic impact of abortion on women it is absurd to say that women globally need legalized abortion to live healthy lives."
Albright also pointed to complications from pregnancy and asserted that 600,000 women die each year across the world in childbirth.
But Smith said women need better health care, not abortion.
"Women will stop dying when they have access to preventative health care, treatment of disease, antibiotics, blood transfusions, skilled obstetrical and delivery care, and pre and post natal care," she explained.
On his first day in office during his first term, President George W. Bush signed an executive order reinstituting the Mexico City Policy, a measure that Presidents Reagan and Bush used previously to block taxpayer funding of international groups that perform or promote abortions.
Applauded by pro-life organizations, the Bush policy, which covered the USAID program, was later expanded to include foreign aid funding all State Department programs.
In April, the Senate voted 52-46 to scrap Bush’s Mexico City Policy an in amendment to the 2006 foreign aid spending bill. However, the language is not expected to be adopted by the House or approved in a conference committee.
President Bush has threatened to veto the bill if it contains the language.
Albright, the chairwoman of the Ministerial Initiative of the Council of Women World Leaders, spoke at a health conference organized by Columbia University.
Related web sites:
Feminists for Life – https://www.feministsforlife.org
