US Bishops' Chairman joins Pro-Life Groups in Opposition to Government Amendment to enrich global Abortion providers

U.S. Bishops’ Pro-Life Chairman Joins Pro-Life Coalition in Asking President to Oppose Amendment Enriching Global Abortion Providers

November 21, 2019

WASHINGTON – On November 21, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City and Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities joined 17 other pro-life groups in urging President Trump to ensure that an amendment led by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), which would enrich global abortion providers, is not part of any final appropriations package.

In a letter to the president, the groups expressed “great concern” that the administration’s significant pro-life actions, “including [the] administration’s Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy (PLGHA), will be undermined by the Shaheen amendment which was included in the Senate’s State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations bill.”  

The letter pointed to several problems, particularly that the amendment “increases a highly controversial earmark for international family planning by $57.55 million above current law, from $575 million to $632.55 million.” The groups noted that “more money for this earmark exploits an aspect of the PLGHA that allows this account to serve as a taxpayer-funded supplemental for U.S.-based NGOs that actively promote abortion overseas. In FY 2018, the U.S. provided nearly $280 million in foreign aid to groups involved in abortion activities overseas.”

The coalition strongly urged President Trump to communicate with the U.S. Congress that the amendment is a poison pill that violates the Budget Agreement and to oppose the inclusion of the amendment in any final appropriations package.
Full Text Source: USCCB