Congress Boosts Funding for International Family Planning, Related Development Efforts

For the latest coverage, click here. For more information: Sandra Jordan, USAID Sarah Craven, U.S. Committee for UNFPA

Dec. 21 - The US House and Senate have overwhelmingly approved increased funding in 2002 for international family planning and related foreign assistance programs. Late in the evening of December 20, 2001, the Senate unanimously passed the fiscal 2002 Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill, following a 357-66 favorable vote in the House on December 19th.

Overall international family planning efforts will be increased by almost 8 percent to $480 million, from $445 million last year. While total FY2002 funding is higher than in recent years, it still falls far short of the $585 million appropriated in 1995, and represents less than half of the funding needed to fulfill the United States share of funding needed to achieve universal access to family planning services by 2015, as outlined in the action plan agreed to at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development. Moreover, the legislation includes at the request of President Bush the global gag rule, which denies US funding to any foreign non-governmental organizations that uses its own funds to provide information or counseling related to abortion services, or to voice an opinion about abortion laws in their own countries.

Experts have indicated that the global gag rule diminishes family planning, women’s health and basic freedoms of speech in the United States and would be unconstitutional if imposed on US-based organizations.

What follows is a summary of the Foreign Operations Bill’s funding levels for international family planning and closely related development efforts:

• Bilateral family planning efforts – $446.5 million, an increase of $21.5 million over fiscal 2001 levels
• UN Population Fund - $34 million, an increase of $12.5 million from 2001 levels. At the request of Congress, US funds will remain segregated from all other UNFPA funding sources to ensure that no US funds are used in China. Certain restrictions that have long been imposed on UNFPA were not included in this year’s bill. Many observers believe that the increased funding for UNFPA and lack of prior restrictions indicates growing support in Congress for the world’s largest multilateral supporter of family planning programs.
• HIV/AIDS - $475 million, an increase of $160 million from 2001 levels. In addition to this appropriation, an additional $100 million was approved earlier in the year and another $100 million for HIV/AIDS prevention efforts was including in the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations bill.
• Child Survival - $1.43 billion was included for bilateral effort to promote child survival, including a $120 million contribution to UNICEF and $165 million for basic education programs. Basic education funding was increased $50 million from 2001 levels.

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