Congresswoman Lee Fights for Women's Reproductive Rights at Home and Abroad
Washington, DC – This week, Congresswoman Barbara Lee is offering two amendments to protect women’s reproductive health options.
On Tuesday, during the House Appropriations full committee mark up of the State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs (SFOPS) bill, Congresswoman Lee offered an amendment to strike Republican language to reinstate the “Global Gag Rule.” The Global Gag Rule, also known as the Mexico City policy, requires that any overseas organization receiving U.S. aid not mention or discuss abortion, regardless of whether the medical procedure is legal or requested by the patient. If an organization violates the Global Gag Rule, the organization will lose all U.S. aid funding, even for unrelated programs.
“Year after year, Republicans attempt to reinstate the Global Gag Rule. This policy endangers the lives of low-income women around the world by denying funds for critical health services,” said Congresswoman Lee. “I remain committed to the fight to prevent this dangerous policy from being reinstated.”
The amendment failed 19 –26.
On Wednesday, during the House Appropriations full committee mark up of the Financial Services and General Government bill, Congresswoman Lee and Congressman Mike Quigley (D-IL05) will offer an amendment to strike dangerous language that would continue the ban on the District of Columbia using its own, locally raised funds to provide abortion services for low-income women.
“Republicans have once again insisted on the inclusion of this unfair and dangerous policy rider, a clear violation of the District's Home Rule in this bill,” said Congresswoman Lee. “This political provision denies D.C.'s citizens the right to determine how their own local tax dollars are spent and denies low-income women access to the full range of medical services, based solely on the type of insurance they have. This is unacceptable. ”
This amendment will be debated and considered on June 25, 2014.
###
Follow Barbara Lee on Facebook and Twitter at @RepBarbaraLee. To learn more, visit lee.house.gov.
Congresswoman Lee is a member of the Appropriations and Budget Committees, the Steering and Policy Committee, is a Senior Democratic Whip, as well as the Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), where she serves as the Co-Chair of the CPC Peace and Security Task Force.