For Immediate Release:	January 19, 2001
For More Information:	Steven Biel, Population Action International (PAI), sbiel@popact.org, 202-557-3423
Sponsor Organization:	Global Population Initiative
ATTENTION REPORTERS COVERING: BUSH TRANSITION, WOMEN'S RIGHTS, FOREIGN POLICY, CONGRESS, AND HEALTH CARE
President-elect George Bush said that he plans to "review and possibly roll back" a wide range of policies enacted by President Clinton, including reinstating restrictions on U.S. government assistance for international family planning programs as outlined in a Q&A in a January 14th New York Times interview. The bitter controversy over U.S. funding for international family planning programs got headlines last fall, when after a contentious struggle, Congress agreed to more than $400 million in funding for Fiscal 2001 and did not reinstate the "global gag rule". The gag rule was in place during FY2000 through which opponents of international family planning sought to restrict the free speech of U.S. aid recipients. However, as part of a compromise that secured the bill's final passage in late 2000, the FY2001 funds cannot be spent until February 15, 2001. Thus, the Bush Administration could attempt to take further actions by reinstating restrictions that could affect international family planning programs. For more background information on International Family Planning, The Global Gag Rule, and U.S. Foreign Policy Spending on Global Population, go to: http://www.PLANetWIRE.org FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Steven Biel of Population Action International, http://www.populationaction.org/ , (202) 557-3423 or home (202) 589-1150 Susan Cohen of Alan Guttmacher Institute, http://www.agi-usa.org/ , at (202) 296-4012 or cell (202) 329-7784 or home (301) 767-1876 Sara Cerrell of DDB Issues and Advocacy, http://www.ddb.com/ , 206-526-0450 or cell 206-979-3673 Trish Sears of CEDPA, http://www.cedpa.org/ , at (202) 939-2674 or cell (301) 775-9233 Kirsten Sherk of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ , at (202) 973-4864 or cell (202) 973-4864