ACTION:  Please contact your member of Congress and urge strong support for the Kemp-Kasten provision.  Tell your Representative to drop the Crowley amendment and oppose coercive abortions.  You can reach any member at 202-224-3121 or go to http://www.house.gov to find more specific contact information.

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DETAILS:  Amendment Would Have U.S. Supporting Forced Abortions

From:  The Pro-Life Infonet <infonet@prolifeinfo.org>
Reply-To:  Steven Ertelt <infonet@prolifeinfo.org>
Subject:   Amendment Would Have U.S. Supporting Forced Abortions
Source:   Pro-Life Infonet; May 7, 2003

Washington, DC -- An amendment by pro-abortion Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-NY) would essentially scrap an 18-year old pro-life law and have the U.S. backing organziations that support forced abortions and sterilizations.

During committee consideration of a bill to fund the State Department, Crowley successfully added an amendment that would make inactive the 18 year old Kemp-Kasten human rights
protection. The Kemp-Kasten provision currently prohibits taxpayer funding of  any "organization or program which, as determined by the President of the United States, supports or participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization."

President Bush and pro-life lawmakers have used the provision, along with other evidence, to deny funding to the UNFPA because it backs coercive abortions in China.

The Crowley amendment would severely weaken this important pro-life law and replace it with an unenforcable and meaningless provision.

"As Americans who value freedom, we want to do absolutely everything in our power to make sure we are not directly or indirectly supporting the horrible practice of coercive abortion and
involuntary sterilization," John Cusey, director of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, told the Pro-Life Infonet. Cusey indicated pro-life lawmakers will work to strip the Crowley amendment from the bill when it reaches the House floor.

The amendment passed 23-22 in the House International Relations Committee.  The Kemp-Kasten provision has been included in every Foreign Operations Appropriations bill since 1985.