Letter
Coalition Letter to U.S Congress on State and Foreign Operations Bill (2019)
Coalition Letter to U.S Congress on State and Foreign Operations Bill, October 17, 2019
A broad coalition of pro‑life, faith‑based, and advocacy organizations wrote to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy urging them to reject the Shaheen amendment to the State and Foreign Operations (SFOPs) appropriations bill.
The letter expresses gratitude for congressional leadership in defending pro‑life protections and strongly supports the Trump administration’s Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) policy (the modernized Mexico City Policy), which restricts U.S. global health funding from supporting abortion overseas. The coalition argues that the Shaheen amendment would undermine these policies and alter long‑standing funding protections related to abortion.
Key concerns raised include:
- Increased international family planning funding in the SFOPs bill, which the authors say would direct taxpayer money to U.S.-based organizations that promote or provide abortion overseas, even though they are not bound by PLGHA.
- Examples are cited of organizations that received significant funding while advocating for or expanding “comprehensive abortion care” internationally.
- The amendment would also require one‑sided reporting requirements that the coalition views as biased against pro‑life policies and designed to weaken PLGHA.