U.S. House Upholds Bush Policy Against Aid to Pro-Abort Groups.(United States House of Representatives, no funding to be provided to organizations that perform abortions or work to legalize abortions in foreign countries)(Statistical Data Included)

WASHINGTON (June 10) - - By a very thin margin, the U.S. House of Representatives on May 16 blocked an attack on a vital pro-life policy adopted by President George W. Bush.

By a vote of 218 to 210, the House affirmed the president's pro-life "Mexico City Policy," a ban on U.S. funding of private organizations that perform abortions or work to legalize abortion in foreign countries. (See roll call, pages 26-27.)

"The House wisely decided not to send tax dollars to groups that campaign to legalize abortion as a birth control method in Latin America and Africa," commented NRLC Legislative Director Douglas Johnson.

However, Johnson noted, if only four votes had shifted to the pro-abortion side, the House would have approved language challenging the President's policy.

In view of the closeness of the vote, "Pro-abortion lawmakers will certainly try again on the annual foreign aid appropriations bill, which the House probably will consider in July," Johnson warned.

White House Fights for Pro-Life Policy

President Bush ordered the restoration of the "Mexico City Policy" as one of his first official acts upon taking office in January. The policy requires that in order to be eligible under the U.S. program of aid to overseas population-control programs, private organizations must agree not to perform abortions (except to save the life of the mother, or in cases of rape or incest), and not to "actively promote abortion as a method of family planning" - - for example, by campaigning to weaken or repeal the pro-life laws of foreign nations.