Abortion Fight Roils Bill on Foreign Policy
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WASHINGTON — The House approved a tough antiabortion amendment Thursday that threatened to erode bipartisan support for a bill to abolish two foreign affairs agencies.
Opponents said the bill would cut about $400 million in U.S. aid to nongovernment organizations trying to slow world population growth and improve women’s health, a contention denied by sponsors.
President Clinton backs the bill’s basic aim to consolidate the U.S. Information Agency and the Arms and Disarmament Agency into the State Department and make changes in the Agency for International Development.
But the amendment brought veto threats when it was attached to previous House bills that never made it through the Senate. It would cut all U.S. funding to any organization that has anything to do with abortions. It applies to groups that perform abortions, even where they are legal, or that lobby for or against abortion anywhere in the world.
Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.), who has led efforts to put the language into law, said the amendment does not end family-planning funding but makes it available only to providers that reject abortions.
Final action on the House bill was postponed until next week, after the House voted, 232-189, for the antiabortion amendment.
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