Huelskamp: Appropriations Bill Preserves Pelosi Status Quo for Abortion
Statement
Congressman Tim Huelskamp, a freshman from Kansas, criticized H.R. 3671, the "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012," for its failure to include many important pro-life initiatives. The bill includes nine unfinished appropriations bills for FY2012.
"Based on the contents of this Appropriations bill you would not know that this is one of the most pro-life Congresses in history," Congressman Huelskamp said. "The package we are being asked to support essentially preserves the Pelosi status quo, despite the fact that at least 70 of the freshmen would describe themselves as pro-life and that nearly all freshmen oppose federal funding of abortion."
"When Republicans ran -- and won -- on the contents of the Pledge to America it was with the commitment to protect life and to ensure that the President's health care law would receive not a single dime for abortion funding. Unfortunately, this Appropriations bill does not fulfill these pro-life pledges."
"The House passed H.R. 3 to state our clear position against using taxpayer funds for abortion. Unfortunately, that bill was dead-on-arrival in the Democrat Senate. As a result, the Appropriations process is where we had an opportunity to really make a pro-life difference -- by exercising the power of the purse. Unfortunately for the unborn of America, that did not occur in this bill."
H.R. 3671:
Reduces Title X funding by a mere $2 million, from $299 million to $297 million. Title X is one of many sources of funding for Planned Parenthood.
Lacks permanent conscience protections - like in the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (HR 361) - to ensure that our health care providers are not forced to perform or provide medical services that conflict with their religious, moral, or ethical views.
Does not reinstate Mexico City Policy, which prohibits international funding of abortion.
Provides for $35 million in funding for the United Nations Population Fund, the agency which is closely associated with the agency that enforces China's one-child policy.
At least $575 million -- the same as the last fiscal year -- will be provided for organizations that promote and perform abortions internationally under the guise of "population control" and "family planning."
Source