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UNFPA Executive Director Obaid Calls on Bush To Release Blocked Funds
(Kaisernetwork) United Nations Population Fund Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid on Wednesday called on President Bush to release $34 million in funds appropriated by Congress but blocked by the Bush administration, the Associated Press reports (Associated Press, 6/30).
The Senate in January voted 65-28 to approve an omnibus spending bill (HR 2673), which included $34 million for UNFPA. The House in December 2003 approved the bill, which combined seven of the 13 fiscal year 2004 spending bills. The administration's current policy -- which was originally implemented by President Reagan at a population conference in Mexico City in 1984, removed by President Clinton and reinstated by Bush during the first days of his presidency -- bars U.S. money from international groups that support abortion, even with their own money, through direct services, counseling or lobbying activities. Bush in September 2003 issued an executive order that prevents the State Department from giving family planning grants to international groups that provide abortion-related counseling, effectively extending the so-called "Mexico City" policy, which previously applied only to USAID (Kaiser Daily Reproductive Health Report, 1/26).
UNFPA officials have said that the $34 million could be used to prevent two million unplanned pregnancies and approximately 800,000 abortions, according to the Associated Press. Obaid said, "We hope there is a change in policy that will allow (Bush) to release the funds that have been given to us by U.S. Congress," adding, "We do have support from both parties in the Congress to allocate money for the agency. It is the president who has decided not to release the money" (Associated Press, 6/30).
(c) 2004 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation
Source: Kaisernetwork
Publish Date: July 1, 2004
Online at: http://ifrl.org/IFRLDailyNews/040701/3
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