Senate OKs Release of Family Planning Funds Abroad

In a victory for President Clinton over antiabortion forces, the Senate voted Tuesday to speed up the release of $385 million for international family planning without setting new abortion restrictions on the program.

The measure authorizing release of the funds, already passed by the House and certain to be signed by Clinton, was bitterly fought by antiabortion advocates who contended that the money will subsidize organizations abroad that promote abortion.

The Senate vote was 53 to 46, with 11 Republicans joining 42 Democrats in supporting Clinton’s request to release the money March 1. That will end a moratorium on spending family planning money that was supposed to last until July 1.

The issue provoked the first abortion-related debate in the Senate since the 1996 elections, when antiabortion forces gained ground in the chamber.

But Tuesday’s vote made clear that, despite lobbying pressure to the contrary, some abortion foes are willing to accept the argument that supporting family planning aid is not the moral equivalent of supporting abortion.

“A majority of senators recognize the value of family planning--that it reduces abortion,” said Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), lead GOP sponsor of the family planning measure.

California Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer both voted to release the funds. Although the Clinton administration won the vote by a comfortable margin, the outcome had been uncertain enough that Vice President Al Gore was in the Capitol in case he was needed to cast a tie-breaking vote.

White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry hailed the vote, saying: “This is a victory for women, children and families all over the world, one which would not have been accomplished without bipartisan support.”

The vote does not, however, end congressional debate over the issue.

“It is obvious that this battle will be renewed each year . . . until the pro-life position prevails,” said Sen. Tim Hutchinson (R-Ark.).

At issue was funding for a U.S. foreign aid program aimed at helping prevent unplanned pregnancies and other population-control initiatives. Current law prohibits the use of U.S. aid for directly funding abortions, but nothing prevents recipients from using other sources of money for that purpose.

Tuesday’s vote was a legacy of last year’s budget battle, when abortion foes tried to block all funding to international groups that provide or promote abortion. As a compromise, Congress voted to cut the program’s budget by 35% and block any spending until July 1.

The agreement also allowed for a February vote to release the money four months earlier, provided Clinton issued a finding that a further delay would have a negative effect, which he did on Jan. 31.

Abortion opponents still want the Senate to vote on a separate measure, already approved by the House, that would prohibit U.S. family planning aid from going to international organizations that promote or provide abortions. But a lobbyist for the National Right to Life Committee conceded that a Senate vote on that measure is “unlikely” soon.

In the absence of such restrictions, many abortion opponents were unwilling to support early release of the family planning money.

“I support family planning, but I cannot and will not vote to provide funds to organizations which in the name of family planning take the lives of innocent, unborn children,” said Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

During Tuesday’s debate, administration allies argued that the funding delay had disrupted countless programs around the world and that further delay could force some to close permanently.

But opponents said the money was nonetheless subsidizing abortion because U.S. aid frees organizations to use other sources of money for abortions.

“The real issue,” said Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), “is, does the 105th Congress today agree with underwriting directly or indirectly organizations that make a callous business out of performing abortions.”

In the last Congress, the Senate was generally less conservative than the House on abortion and related issues. After the 1996 elections, however, the Senate for the first time appeared to have a slim antiabortion majority.

But several members of that majority backed release of the family planning money, including freshman Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), who replaced retiring Sen. Mark O. Hatfield, a Republican who supported abortion rights.