Concerned Women for America opposes funding abortion oversees.
Another Christmas shutdown looms over Capitol Hill. This week a Continuing Resolution moved the spending expiration deadline to December 20. This delay does not remedy serious and real problems in the appropriations process, like the Senate FY 2020 State-Foreign Operations (SFOPS) bill that would undermine pro-life gains made by the Trump Administration.
The Shaheen Amendment, offered by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), increases funding for programs that have been used to support the abortion industry and advocacy overseas. The amendment was disturbingly included in the SFOPS bill passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee. While the SFOPS bill has not gone to the floor for a vote, avoidance of the Shaheen Amendment is not a solution. Something must be done to remove it from the FY 2020 spending bill and ensure it doesn’t get passed in the commotion of avoiding a Christmas government shutdown.
Thankfully, President Trump issued a letter in January promising to veto any bills that weaken current pro-life policies which is exactly what the Shaheen Amendment would do. Her amendment also violates the conditions of the Bipartisan Budget Agreement agreed to by both parties that prohibits “poison pill” provisions from being included.
The Shaheen Amendment undermines the strong pro-life polices of this administration, specifically President Trump’s executive order creating Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA), commonly known as the Mexico City policy. Every year, Sen. Shaheen attempts to strike PLGHA from the SFOPS Appropriations bill. This year she offered a backdoor approach to undermine the policy. The amendment circumvents PLGHA by directly increasing funding to the family planning/reproductive healthcare account that funds domestic groups that fund abortion overseas. Furthermore, it directly increases funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) which is a well-known advocate of abortion.
And there’s more. The Shaheen Amendment sets up a mechanism that could be used to advance sexual orientation and gender identity ideology and discriminate against pro-life and/or faith-based groups preventing them from receiving contracts.
This week, CWA joined with other prolife organizations in sending a letter to President Trump thanking him for his commitment to protect life and urging him to make clear to Congress that he opposes the Shaheen Amendment. We believe the President stands with us and will uphold his veto promise to oppose any spending bill that compromises pro-life policy or uses taxpayer funds to prop up the abortion industry.
But we need your help to back up opposition to the Shaheen Amendment in Congress.
Please take a moment to send a note to your elected officials asking them to reject the Shaheen Amendment in the FY 2020 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. We have a message ready for you to send directly to your senators and member of Congress, with the option to personalize it, if you so choose. Go to our Action Center today and let them know you don’t want your tax-dollars funding abortion at home or overseas. Say no to the Shaheen Amendment.