International family planning programs are of virtually no budgetary significance, totaling only a few hundredths of 1 percent of the U.S. government budget. Congress should rethink the excessive cuts and burdensome rules it has mandated and restore a program that reflects American interests and generosity. Maurice I. Middleberg is director of the population unit for CARE, which is based in Atlanta. The Republican Revolution strikes another foolish blow, this time weakening global family planning programs THE United States is marching back into the Dark Ages by scaling down its international effort to aid family planning. The retrenchment was forced by congressional Republicans who are opposed to abortion and don't take seriously the world population crisis.
Ideology is a dangerous game where survival is ultimately at stake.
By law, no U.S. money can be spent abroad for abortions, but the United States is the world's biggest donor to family planning groups, many of which provide abortion services. During the Reagan and Bush administrations, there was an embargo on giving U.S. funds to any organizations that performed abortions or provided information about the procedure. That ban was lifted by President Clinton. The United States is also reducing its contributions to the U.N. Population Fund. Only by ignoring the evidence can such actions be justified.