Reallocates money from UN agency that supports China's one-child policy to Child Survival program

Contact: Sarah Rode, Concerned Women for America, 202-488-7000 ext. 127

WASHINGTON, Sept. 14 /Christian Newswire/ -- President Bush has transferred $34 million that Congress allocated for the notorious United Nations Population Fund to instead help children through the "Child Survival and Health Programs Fund."  The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) supports the coercive one-child policy in China that fines, jails, forcibly aborts and punishes the families of women who attempt to choose the number and spacing of their children. 

Wendy Wright, President of Concerned Women for America (CWA) stated, "We thank President Bush for his commitment to upholding the law which protects vulnerable women in foreign countries from forced abortions and sterilizations. Chinese women and families have suffered forced late-term abortions, destruction of their homes, massive fines, and threats. The abuses have been so extreme that recently villagers in China rioted against family planning officials. UNFPA blatantly continues its involvement and support of China's family planning agency and its one-child policy and should not receive U.S. tax dollars.

"It is appalling that congressmen insist on funding this wretched agency that abuses women.  U.S. lawmakers should respect the rights of women in foreign nations to have children and not use our tax dollars to perpetrate violence and forced abortion. We are grateful to President Bush and his staff for confronting and correcting this error in allocating money to the anti-woman and anti-child UNFPA."

This is the sixth year President Bush has followed the Kemp-Kasten provision requiring the president to ensure that no U.S. tax funding goes to organizations involved in forced abortions or sterilizations. The provision was enacted in 1985 because of UNFPA's support of China's horrific one-child policy. Kemp-Kasten states, "none of the funds made available in this Act...may be made available to any organization or program which...supports or participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization."

Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.