Big Wins for Women in the Omnibus Bill

The House approved the Omnibus Spending Bill, which combines 6 of the 7 appropriations bills for the 2010 fiscal year. The Senate is expected to vote this weekend.

In victories, we've got:

- The elimination of traditional sources of funding for failed abstinence-only programs, and the introduction of $114.5 million to fund comprehensive sexual health education programs.

- Removal of a District of Columbia prohibition, which will enable the district to use its own funds to provide abortions to low-income women. It will also ease restrictions on needle-exchange programs in DC, intended to reduce HIV transmissions.

- An increase in U.S. international family planning and reproductive health funding, to $648.5 million. An increase of more than $103 million, or 19%, over the FY 2009 level.

These are major victories for young women, low-income women and women and children worldwide! Unfortunately, language that would have permanently repealed the Global Gag Rule was struck from the bill.

Amendment to Repeal Global Gag Rule Faces Opposition

Obama may have repealed the Mexico City Policy, aka the Global Gag Rule, within days of coming into office, but the extensive damage done to the lives of women and girls as a result of the Global Gag Rule doesn't come and go as easily as the policy itself.

The Washington International Family Planning Coalition (IFPC), in which the FMF and myslef personally are very active, were hearing countless accounts from the ground that even though the policy had been repealed by Obama, large numbers of overseas NGOs are still afraid to start advocating or get involved with any abortion activity out of fear that they would still lose their US funding. This shows how much confusion the back and forth of this policy causes in the field in developing nations across the world. We are dealing with real women's lives here.

The IFPC decided to act. We decided the time was now to start moving on policy that would permanently repeal the Global Gag Rule and stop it from being an Executive Order.

In July, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amendment introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) that would overturn the "Mexico City Policy." Naturally, this has the Antis up in arms. National Right to Life Committee Legislative Director Douglas Johnson told the Congressional Quarterly that his organization is going to fight the bill.

Once again we see abortion politics playing with real women's lives. The Global Gag Rule must be permanently repealed. This policy is a shining example of US domestic abortion politics spilling onto the international arena, allowing policies that would be considered unconstitutional in the US to be implemented abroad, and killing hundreds of thousands of women as a result by denying them access to a full range of reproductive health services. It is always important to remember that even though the Gag Rule is about abortion, it is at its core about family planning. As a direct result of this policy under the Bush Administration, the US completely stopped shipping contraceptives to the countless countries in the developing world.

As Senator Lautenberg told Congressional Quarterly, his amendment would allow international aid organizations to operate without the uncertainty of constantly changing rules. "Health care providers across the globe should be able to care for the health of women and families without ideological obstacles blocking the way," he said.

We couldn't agree with Senator Lautenberg more. Saving women's lives must always be a US policy priority. The time is now to get rid of this policy once and for all.

Image credit: allyaubry on flickr.com

Surprise! Antis Oppose Permanent End to Global Gag Rule

An amendment to the 2010 Senate Foreign Operations Spending Bill that would permanently repeal the Global Gag Rule is drawing protest from anti-choice groups. National Right to Life Committee Legislative Director Douglas Johnson told the Congressional Quarterly that his organization is preparing to fight the bill. "If the leadership wants to use this as a vehicle to make a permanent change in the president's authority and foreign policy, there are senators that are going to have a lot of other ideas...and maybe Sen. Reid should plan on spending a couple of weeks on this," Johnson said, referring to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV).

In July, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amendment introduced by Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) that would overturn the "Mexico City Policy" first passed by President Reagan in 1984. The policy was repealed by President Clinton, reinstituted by George W. Bush and rescinded by President Obama in January. The policy bars international aid organizations that receive US funds from using any funds (from the US or other sources) to provide abortion counseling and services, according to the Center for Health and Gender Equity.

Senator Lautenberg told Congressional Quarterly that his amendment would allow international aid organizations to operate without the uncertainty of constantly changing rules. "Health care providers across the globe should be able to care for the health of women and families without ideological obstacles blocking the way," he said.

The House version of the foreign spending bill, while increasing funding for family planning programs, does not include any provision to overturn the Global Gag Rule. The House passed the bill in July by a vote of 318-106.

Story by Feminist News

Image courstesy of Ms Magazine