Mr. President: Read the Bill!

Washington, DC - July 30, 2007

Members of Congress head back to their districts this month with the threat of a Presidential veto of the 2008 Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill casting a dark cloud over the good work they’ve done. Why a possible veto? It’s all because of a provision that exempts U.S.-donated contraceptives and condoms from the restrictions of the Global Gag Rule. Who would have thought that helping life-saving contraceptives and condoms get to the people who want and need them most would be reason to veto $34.5 billion in foreign assistance?

Keeping this language in the 2008 foreign assistance budget is critical - and much will need to happen in the coming months. First, the U.S. Senate, which is expected to vote on their own version of the foreign spending bill when they return to Washington, must take a stand for women’s lives and keep this language in the bill. After that, the House and Senate must gear up to overturn the promised Presidential veto.

We at PAI wonder if anyone in the Bush Administration has really even read this language carefully. It’s hard to fathom that the President would veto the entire foreign operations budget in order to prevent these supplies from reaching the women and couples around the world who desperately want and need them. Since the Global Gag Rule was reinstated by President Bush in 2001, shipments of U.S.-donated contraceptives have been stopped to 20 developing countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Filling the unmet need for contraceptives would avert 52 million unwanted pregnancies each year, preventing an estimated 29 million abortions, 142,000 pregnancy-related deaths and 505,000 children from losing their mothers. How could the President possibly disagree with provisions that have the potential to save so many lives?

Just because Congress isn’t in session this month doesn’t mean that they take a break from their responsibilities on the Hill. While your Senators and Representatives are in your district, ask them to support this bill and vote to overturn a Presidential veto.

In the meantime, we have a little homework assignment for the Bush administration: Take a moment to read this language. We think you’ll realize that all it does is save lives.

Population Action International (PAI) works to improve individual well-being and preserve global resources by mobilizing political and financial support for population, family planning and reproductive health policies and programs.