Congressman Chris Smith was joined by Congressmen Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Bart Stupak (D-MI) and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), in introducing H.R. 708, aimed at restoring the abortion-neutral Mexico City Policy. This 25-year old guideline establishes a wall of separation between abortion and family planning by ensuring that U.S. international family planning funds directed to foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) could not be used to actively promote or perform abortion as a method of family planning.

This bill would reverse one of the first acts of newly sworn-in President Barack Obama, who quietly issued an edict late Friday, Jan. 23, to allow U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund radically pro-abortion organizations around the world.

Smith, a long time champion of the Mexico City Policy defended the policy in the House during the Reagan and both Bush administrations and introduced Amendments to restore the policy throughout the Clinton administration.

“One of President Barrack Obama’s first acts in office was to issue an executive order to allow U.S. taxpayer money to flow to groups that perform abortions or actively work to overturn pro-life laws all over the world,” said Smith. “It’s a sad statement about his list of priorities. With Americans facing an economic crisis the likes of which we’ve not seen in generations, he chooses to enact a policy that will redirect funds to foreign organizations promoting and conducting abortions."

“The Mexico City Policy represents common ground,” Smith said. “It has allowed the US to substantially fund international family planning without padding the budgets of radical groups intent on spreading the scourge of abortion. Under the Mexico City policy, funding for family planning was not reduced one penny. The President’s decision will shift U.S. funding from true family planning programs to programs that provide and promote abortion with little or no regard for the sovereignty of democratic nations that oppose abortion as a method of family planning.”

Sensenbrenner is a longtime leader in the fight to protect the rights of unborn children. He shepherded through the Judiciary Committee and House floor major pro-life legislation such as the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act when he was chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Regarding H.R 708, Sensenbrenner said the legislation is critical to continuation of the Mexico City Policy, which was first developed in the Reagan Administration in 1984.

“I join Congressman Smith without reservation in introducing H.R. 708, which reinstates the Mexico City policy that President Obama overturned last week,” Sensenbrenner added. “With one swift stroke of his pen, our new President gave the green light for the execution of thousands of pre-born children whose parents will find it easier to deny them the right to enter this world. I can think of no clearer signal to illustrate our changing times, and highlight the fact that after 14 years of relatively easy times, we pro-lifers now face a huge challenge in our cause to protect the life of the innocent unborn children who have no voice but ours to speak out for their survival.”

“If President Obama truly seeks to reduce the number of abortions, he must resist funding groups who are driven to export and expand abortion as a method of family planning,” Smith added. “Abortion is never safe for the child and women deserve better than the tragic, irreversible consequences of abortion."