Statement of Chairwoman Lowey on Administration Decision to Withhold UNFPA Funding

WASHINGTON – Chairwoman of the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Nita Lowey (D-NY) today assailed the Bush Administration’s decision to withhold funds from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for the sixth year in a row. A September 6, 2007, letter from Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte states that the denial is based on accusations that UNFPA supports China’s coercive abortion policies despite the fact that an Administration-appointed commission found no such evidence years ago. In fact, UNFPA provides life-saving basic and reproductive health services to the world’s neediest women and children. Lowey’s statement follows:

“The Administration’s decision today to deny the poorest women and children around the world UNFPA’s essential services is unconscionable. Once again, common sense policy has been replaced with nonsense. The Administration is punishing UNFPA for working in China to change the coercive policies that we all agree are wrong and to reduce unintended pregnancies and improve reproductive health.

“This decision punishes the poorest women and children in all the countries UNFPA serves. It is unfair and immoral to penalize many of the world’s most vulnerable people based on false claims about this program in one country.”