March 4, 2002

The Honorable President George W. Bush

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

I understand that your administration is considering withholding the $34 million in U.S. contributions to UNFPA for this fiscal year.  On behalf of Choice USA, I am writing you to urge you to support continued funding for UNFPA.

UNFPA helps countries around the world provide family planning, maternal health care, and other reproductive health services.  These programs are critical to protecting the health of women and their families.  Ending the U.S. contribution to UNFPA would result in an estimated 2 million unwanted pregnancies, nearly 800,000 induced abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths, and over 77,000 infant and child deaths.

Congress approved and you signed into law a funding level of $34 million for the fiscal year 2002.  Your budget for fiscal year 2002 requested a funding level of $25 million for UNFPA.  This past October, your administration provided $600,000 in much needed support to Afghan women.  Last May, Secretary of State Colin Powell testified before Congress that UNFPA, "provides critical population assistance to developing countries".

However, your administration is now considering withholding the U.S. contribution to UNFPA because of the agency's work in China.  While the Chinese government has had a coercive population program, including forced sterilizations and abortions, there is no evidence that UNFPA programs in China, or in any of the other approximately 150 countries where it works, are coercive.  In fact, UNFPA has been credited with working to soften harsh Chinese government policies and reducing the number of abortions in China by providing voluntary contraception.

A bipartisan group of over 125 Members of Congress have already written you a letter urging your administration to fully fund UNFPA for this fiscal year.  The majority of Americans, myself included, support family planning.  Please support the bipartisan agreement by Congress to provide $34 million in U.S. contributions to UNFPA for the fiscal year 2002.   For women in poorer countries, the lack of family planning services is literally a matter of life or death.

Sincerely,

Crystal Plati

Executive Director