March 5, 2009
UPDATE: Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) issued an excellent statement expressing his deep disappoint in the Senate for forcing taxpayers to subsidize abortions.
A pro-life Amendment proposed by Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) was defeated by a vote of 39-55.
The Wicker Amendment would have restored the Kemp-Kasten Amendment, which has been in place since 1985. Kemp-Kasten denies federal funding to organizations or programs that, as determined by the President, support or participate in a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization, like China’s One-Child Policy. The 2009 budget creates an exception to Kemp-Kasten provision by stating that UNFPA must receive funds “notwithstanding any other provision of law.” The Wicker Amendment would have closed this loophole by using the language in President Bush’s 2008 budget, making it clear that the President still needs to make a determination about UNFPA and their support for coercive abortion procedures before releasing any funds.
