FAMILY RESEARCH COUNCIL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 12, 1997
CONTACT: Kristi S. Hamrick, (202) 393-2100
For Radio Interviews: Kristin Hansen
For Soundbites: (202) 393- NEWS (6397)

105TH'S FIRST CHANCE TO VOTE FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- "Many Americans believe that their taxes do not support abortion overseas, but they have been terribly misled," Family Research Council President Gary Bauer said Wednesday. "Their money is distributed generously to groups who actively promote abortion, seek to overturn foreign countries' abortion laws, and support programs which are tainted by forced abortion and sterilization of women policies. If they knew the truth, the American people would never agree with the Clinton Administration's request to spend an additional $123 million dollars of taxpayers' money in the current fiscal year toward such ends."

Bauer made his comments prior to the first significant pro-life vote dealing with international population control funding scheduled for Thursday, February 13 in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Family Research Council opposes any U.S. tax dollars being given to pro-abortion groups, such as International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), who perform or promote abortion as a method of "family planning." International population groups claim that this is not an abortion issue because the U.S. already prohibits using money for abortion procedures, however these groups easily avoid this restriction by simple bookkeeping techniques.

"Only direct use of U.S. funds for abortion procedures is prohibited, but pro-abortion organizations can spend more of their own money on abortion when U.S. money helps free up their funds," Bauer said. "Neither does prohibiting 'procedures' prevent groups from actively trying to change foreign countries' laws, which is the declared agenda of both the Clinton Administration and the IPPF.

"The agenda of groups such as IPPF goes even further by promoting sex information and abortion for girls as young as ten-years-old, according to a 1994 book entitled Understanding Adolescents.

"Instead of filling clinics overseas with abortion-related equipment, the U.S. should stock the shelves with life-saving drugs which will help to save the 2.1 million children (according to UNICEF) who die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases.

"The House should vote 'NO' on President Clinton's request to send more of their hard-earned money to organizations which aggressively promote abortion and subvert the will of the people."

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR INTERVIEWS, CALL THE FRC MEDIA OFFICE.

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