Lowey Fights Reckless Republican Measures that will Increase Unplanned Pregnancies & Abortion
House Republicans' proposed cuts to international family planning programs could result in 1.3 million more unsafe abortions around the world, 9.4 million people without access to contraceptives, 7,700 maternal deaths and more than 35,000 additional orphans, according to a reproductive health research organization.
… Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), the ranking Democrat on the House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, deeply criticized the cuts for their global health consequences.
“Whether you call yourself a Republican or a Democrat, pro-choice or pro-life, it is clear these unconscionable and unnecessarily divisive policies and cuts are counterproductive to our shared goals of reducing unwanted pregnancies, maternal and infant deaths, and abortions," she said in her opening statement.
Lowey introduced a counter-bill on Tuesday that permanently repeals the Global Gag Rule, which was instituted by President Reagan in 1984 and most recently was repealed by President Obama in 2009. The GOP's new version of the gag rule, which is more extreme than it was under the Bush Administration, cuts all foreign aid, including HIV/AIDS funding, to international organizations that counsel women on family planning options…
