| WASHINGTON
- September 24 - The following is a statement by Gloria Feldt, President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America on Access Denied; U.S. Restrictions on International Family Planning:
When President Bush imposed the global gag rule hours after his inauguration in 2001, he said, "American taxpayers don't want their money going to pay for abortions in developing countries." But if he'd read this report, he would know that our money doesn't go to pay for abortions in developing countries. In fact it will cause more women to seek abortions because fewer women will have access to family planning services that prevent abortions.
Because of Bush's policy, the Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association no longer receives condoms from the United States - even though it has perhaps the highest HIV-infection rate in Africa. Women in Nairobi, Kenya, may have to go without basic healthcare because the only nearby health clinic was forced to close. And in Romania, women continue to die from unsafe though legal abortions because family planning providers can not talk about abortion with their clients.
Perhaps what the president meant to say was, "Americans are willing to risk the lives of millions of women and children to ensure they are never able to have a safe abortion." Or that "Americans don't believe that we should be paying for poor women in poor countries to have birth control or better health care." But that also would not have been true. In fact, most American voters oppose the global gag rule. And nearly 70 percent of American voters believe that the United States should be supporting the very programs discussed here this morning - on a par with support for the war against terrorism.
So if Americans support international family planning, and oppose the global gag rule, how can this policy have lasted so long? The administration has had some success in masking its extremist agenda with feel-good talk about supporting women's health and human rights. But with facts like those revealed in this report, it is becoming harder and harder for the Bush administration to hide behind its words.
We can and will overturn this wrongheaded policy. But it will require the combined efforts of committed individuals and organizations the world over, calling on Congress and this administration not to turn its back on the women and children who are paying the ultimate price.
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