Title: Expressing support for the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women's Health and Strengthening the Family and urging that the United States be added as a signatory.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This concurrent resolution affirms the commitments in the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women's Health and Strengthening the Family and applauds the signatory countries for their dedication to advancing women's health, protecting life at every stage while affirming that there is no international right to abortion, and upholding the importance of the family as foundational to society.
The resolution calls on President Biden to once again add the United States as a signatory to the Geneva Consensus Declaration.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 115 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 115

 Expressing support for the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting 
Women's Health and Strengthening the Family and urging that the United 
                    States be added as a signatory.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 17, 2022

   Mr. Banks (for himself, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Palazzo, Mrs. 
Harshbarger, Mrs. Miller of Illinois, Mr. Mann, Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Babin, 
    Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Lamborn, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. 
Grothman, Mr. Clyde, Mr. Hice of Georgia, Mr. Timmons, Mr. Luetkemeyer, 
Mr. Cline, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, Mr. Guest, Mrs. Lesko, Mr. Fleischmann, 
Mrs. McClain, Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania, Mr. Moolenaar, Mr. Mooney, Mr. 
Posey, and Mr. Bucshon) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing support for the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting 
Women's Health and Strengthening the Family and urging that the United 
                    States be added as a signatory.

Whereas the United States strongly supports women reaching the highest 
        attainable outcomes for health, life, dignity, and well-being throughout 
        their lives;
Whereas the historic coalition that issued the Geneva Consensus Declaration on 
        Promoting Women's Health and Strengthening the Family (in this preamble 
        referred to as the ``Geneva Consensus Declaration'') was formed by a 
        diverse group of countries committed to charting a more positive path to 
        advance the health of women, protect the family as foundational to any 
        healthy society, affirm the value of life in all stages of development, 
        and uphold the sovereign right of countries to make their own laws to 
        advance those core values, without external pressure;
Whereas the Geneva Consensus Declaration was signed on October 22, 2020, by 35 
        countries from every region of the world, representing more than 
        1,600,000,000 people, which committed to working together on the core 
        pillars enshrined in the Declaration, and 3 countries have subsequently 
        signed;
Whereas, although President Joseph R. Biden removed the United States as a 
        signatory to the Geneva Consensus Declaration, at least temporarily, 36 
        countries remain signatories, and longstanding Federal laws that 
        prohibit the United States from conducting or funding abortions, 
        abortion lobbying, or coercive family planning in foreign countries 
        remain in effect;
Whereas the Geneva Consensus Declaration reaffirms that ``all are equal before 
        the law'' and ``human rights of women are an inalienable, integral, and 
        indivisible part of all human rights and fundamental freedoms'';
Whereas the Geneva Consensus Declaration reaffirms the inherent ``dignity and 
        worth of the human person'' and that ``every human being has the 
        inherent right to life'';
Whereas the Geneva Consensus Declaration reaffirms that ``there is no 
        international right to abortion, nor any international obligation on the 
        part of States to finance or facilitate abortion'';
Whereas the Geneva Consensus Declaration reaffirms that ``the family is the 
        natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to 
        protection by society and the State''; and
Whereas the Geneva Consensus Declaration coalition strengthens the collective 
        voice of the signatory countries to prevent any country from being 
        intimidated, isolated, or muted on the core values expressed in the 
        Declaration: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) affirms the commitments to protect life and the family 
        made in the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women's 
        Health and Strengthening the Family (in this resolution 
        referred to as the ``Geneva Consensus Declaration'') and 
        applauds the signatory countries for their dedication to 
        advancing women's health, protecting life at every stage while 
        affirming that there is no international right to abortion, and 
        upholding the importance of the family as foundational to 
        society;
            (2) declares that the principles affirming life and the 
        family recognized by the Geneva Consensus Declaration remain 
        universally valid;
            (3) welcomes opportunities to strengthen support for the 
        Geneva Consensus Declaration;
            (4) will defend the sovereignty of every country to adopt 
        national policies that promote women's health, protect the 
        right to life, and strengthen the family, as enshrined in the 
        Geneva Consensus Declaration;
            (5) will conduct oversight of the United States executive 
        branch to ensure that the United States does not conduct or 
        fund abortions, abortion lobbying, or coercive family planning 
        in foreign countries, consistent with longstanding Federal law;
            (6) urges the signatory countries to the Geneva Consensus 
        Declaration to defend the universal principles affirming life 
        and the family expressed in the Declaration; and
            (7) calls on President Joseph R. Biden to once again add 
        the United States as a signatory to the Geneva Consensus 
        Declaration.
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