America has also been a leader in providing health and family planning assistance for women and families in developing countries. We do this because it's right, and because it will help build the kind of world we want for our own children. In the developing world, the complications of pregnancy kill more than one woman every single minute, because so many lack the most basic health care. These are personal tragedies, and they have profound consequences for families and communities. Where children are born healthy, and mothers and families gain power over their lives, communities are stronger.
Economic progress is faster.
And the future is brighter for everyone. I am asking Congress to support these funds, and to provide them without restrictions that hamper the work of family planning organizations, and even bar them from discussing or debating reproductive health policies. We all agree that we want to save lives, help women and children stay healthy and empower families to take responsibility for their own choices. Supporting reproductive health and family planning is one of the very best ways to do that. We know it works.