More than three months after President Bush cut off U.S. funding for international family planning groups that perform or promote abortions, a House committee voted Wednesday to reverse that policy, intensifying a political controversy the administration had hoped would subside. Opponents of the Bush policy concede they face an uphill fight persuading the full House floor to overturn the president.
Public opinion is on our side.
We're going to fight. President Clinton negotiated a halt to that House action during year-end budget negotiations. But Bush issued the executive order blocking the aid on Jan. 22, his first working day in office. On Wednesday, Lee argued that the effect of the funding ban was to hurt global family-planning efforts at a time when sexually transmitted diseases and high population growth are critical problems in impoverished countries. Lee's amendment to overturn Bush's order was attached to a bill that also would reduce the U.S. share of dues paid to the United Nations.