St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Carnahan seeks more aid for
contraceptives |
Site last published: 02/03/10
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Carnahan seeks more aid for contraceptives
June 22,2007
By: Adam
Sichko
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
Rep. Russ Carnahan is on a collision course with the Roman Catholic church and the White House for seeking expanded funding of contraceptives around the world.
Carnahan, D-St. Louis, advocates doubling - to $150 million - foreign aid for distributing condoms and other contraceptives in developing countries. He also wants to change a White House policy that bans distributing contraceptives to foreign organizations that perform or promote abortions.
The House voted 223-201 Thursday to overturn the ban, which Democratic leaders said was ineffective in preventing unwanted pregnancies. President George W. Bush has threatened a veto.
Carnahan said Thursday's House vote, an amendment to a foreign aid bill, was a "good test" for his own legislation, which is pending in committee.
He said boosting contraceptive distribution in developing countries will help stunt the spread of HIV and other diseases while at the same time rein in unintended pregnancies.
"It's an important part of smart public policy, when in recent years, we've seen some policy decisions that are frankly very anti-family and anti-family planning," he said. "This is a way to bring us back to common-sense, common-ground issues."
Also voting to lift the ban was Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis. Democrats Ike Skelton of Lexington, Mo., and Jerry Costello of Belleville joined Republicans in voting against it.
Cardinal Justin Rigali, former archbishop of St. Louis, is among those seeking to keep the White House ban in place. He specifically assailed Carnahan's work in a letter this week to members of Congress.
"Beyond any particular empirical study, logic and common sense dictate that we cannot reduce abortions by supporting groups dedicated to promoting abortions. Such a policy is at war with itself," wrote Rigali, the archbishop of Philadelphia.
He is chairman of anti-abortion activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Carnahan said he's not concerned about potential backlash from Catholics, or anybody else.
"It's something that, regardless of one's religion or philosophical beliefs, most people believe having access to family planning is the right thing to do," said Carnahan, whose wife, Debra, is on the national board of Planned Parenthood.
The policy Democrats are seeking to change dates to 1984, when then-president Ronald Reagan issued an executive order requiring foreign organizations to disavow abortion in order to receive U.S. aid.
Former President Bill Clinton rescinded the Reagan policy. In his first day on the job in 2001, Bush reinstated it.
Republicans said the bill put America "in the business of exporting abortions overseas." Meanwhile, Democrats said that withholding contraceptives does nothing to curb abortion rates.
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
Rep. Russ Carnahan is on a collision course with the Roman Catholic church and the White House for seeking expanded funding of contraceptives around the world.
Carnahan, D-St. Louis, advocates doubling - to $150 million - foreign aid for distributing condoms and other contraceptives in developing countries. He also wants to change a White House policy that bans distributing contraceptives to foreign organizations that perform or promote abortions.
The House voted 223-201 Thursday to overturn the ban, which Democratic leaders said was ineffective in preventing unwanted pregnancies. President George W. Bush has threatened a veto.
Carnahan said Thursday's House vote, an amendment to a foreign aid bill, was a "good test" for his own legislation, which is pending in committee.
He said boosting contraceptive distribution in developing countries will help stunt the spread of HIV and other diseases while at the same time rein in unintended pregnancies.
"It's an important part of smart public policy, when in recent years, we've seen some policy decisions that are frankly very anti-family and anti-family planning," he said. "This is a way to bring us back to common-sense, common-ground issues."
Also voting to lift the ban was Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-St. Louis. Democrats Ike Skelton of Lexington, Mo., and Jerry Costello of Belleville joined Republicans in voting against it.
Cardinal Justin Rigali, former archbishop of St. Louis, is among those seeking to keep the White House ban in place. He specifically assailed Carnahan's work in a letter this week to members of Congress.
"Beyond any particular empirical study, logic and common sense dictate that we cannot reduce abortions by supporting groups dedicated to promoting abortions. Such a policy is at war with itself," wrote Rigali, the archbishop of Philadelphia.
He is chairman of anti-abortion activities for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Carnahan said he's not concerned about potential backlash from Catholics, or anybody else.
"It's something that, regardless of one's religion or philosophical beliefs, most people believe having access to family planning is the right thing to do," said Carnahan, whose wife, Debra, is on the national board of Planned Parenthood.
The policy Democrats are seeking to change dates to 1984, when then-president Ronald Reagan issued an executive order requiring foreign organizations to disavow abortion in order to receive U.S. aid.
Former President Bill Clinton rescinded the Reagan policy. In his first day on the job in 2001, Bush reinstated it.
Republicans said the bill put America "in the business of exporting abortions overseas." Meanwhile, Democrats said that withholding contraceptives does nothing to curb abortion rates.