Tell Your Senators to Support UNFPA!

During the floor consideration in the Senate of the FY05 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, scheduled to take place Thursday, September 23rd, Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) plans to offer an amendment that would restore funding for UNFPA.

For the past three years, President Bush has cut off family planning funding to UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, denying millions of women around the world access to basic reproductive health services--including birth control, sexuality education, prenatal and obstetric care, and lifesaving information and services to prevent HIV/AIDS.

According to UNFPA, the U.S. funds could prevent two million unwanted pregnancies, 800,000 induced abortions, and 4700 maternal deaths, as well as 77,000 infant and child deaths annually.

Tell your senators to support the Bingaman amendment to restore funding for UNFPA.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Bingaman UNFPA amendment

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am contacting you to urge your support for the Bingaman UNFPA amendment to S.2812, the FY 05 foreign operations appropriations bill. The amendment would restore funding for UNFPA while maintaining important human rights safeguards in the delivery of family planning services.

A vote against UNFPA is a vote against family planning. Experts estimate that the $34 million appropriated for UNFPA for the current fiscal year constitutes sufficient resources to prevent to two million unwanted pregnancies, 800,000 induced abortions, and 4700 maternal deaths, as well as 77,000 infant and child deaths annually.

The United States should be saving lives, not playing politics with women's health.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
September 22, 2004

Background Information

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is the only multilateral agency specifically devoted to providing adults and adolescents with family planning and reproductive health care services and information. It also works to end violence against women, prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS, and expand educational opportunities for people worldwide. Operating in 144 countries, UNFPA is the only source of funding for family planning and reproductive health information and services for many women and men living in the poorest and most remote regions of the world.

Since 2002, the Bush administration has denied funding for UNFPA, using legitimate concerns about the government of China's coercive abortion policies as an excuse to reduce access to basic reproductive health services throughout the world. However, UNFPA is far from complicit with these human rights abuses. In fact, the UNFPA program in China was developed with the express purpose of moving China away from coercion and toward delivery of voluntary services to its people.

The Bingaman amendment

Last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved the FY05 foreign operations appropriations bill that earmarked $34 million for UNFPA, subject to a presidential determination that it does not directly support coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization. This week, Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) will offer an amendment endorsing this pro-UNFPA language.

For medical questions, or to schedule an appointment with the
nearest Planned Parenthood center, call toll-free 1-800-230-PLAN.