Yesterday, the Obama Administration released the President’s FY2011 Budget. Not surprisingly the pro-abortion President continued his anti-life policies, even including government funding of abortion overseas and in Washington, DC. Need a refresher on everything Obama has done to demean the sanctity of life during his Presidency? See the full list at LifeNews.com.
The FY2011 budget includes proposed changes to funding levels and limitation amendments (riders). The proposed budget thankfully keeps provisions against funding for abortion or abortion coverage such as the Hyde amendment which governs funds appropriated through the Labor, Health and Human Services spending bill and the Smith amendment which governs Federal Employee Health Benefits Program.
However there are several funding levels and negative proposed changes to pro-life policies:
District of Columbia Abortion Funding
Current Policy: The FY10 Consolidated Appropriations Act contained a new policy allowing public funding for abortion in the District of Columbia (DC). This was the first time that government money could be used to pay for elective abortion in DC.
FY11 Administration Budget: Page1248 of the proposed budget for FY11 requests that public funding for abortion in DC be continued.
Title X Funding
(government funding specifically for contraceptives and reproductive health but it cannot be used for abortions)
Current Level: The FY10 Consolidated Appropriations Act funds Title X at $317,491,000.
FY11 Request: On page 461, the Administration requests an increase of roughly $10 million for a total of $327,356,000 for Title X.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
Current Policy: The FY10 Consolidated Appropriations Act retained several policies related to the UNFPA. The policy known as Kemp-Kasten states that no funds may be made available to any organization or program that “supports or participates in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.” Under this policy the Bush Administration withheld funds from the UNFPA due to their involvement in China’s one-child policy. However, the current administration has indicated that they intend to fund UNFPA notwithstanding the Kemp-Kasten policy. Another policy included in the FY10 Consolidated Appropriations Act continues certain conditions on UNFPA funding if Kemp-Kasten not be applied.
FY11 Administration Budget: The proposed budget retains the Kemp-Kasten provision, which will not be applied to UNFPA under the current administration. On page 918 of the proposed budget, the Administration proposes deleting conditions on UNFPA funding if Kemp-Kasten is not applied. If these conditions are not retained in the FY11 State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Act funds will flow to UNFPA without current reporting and accounting requirements, US contributions to UNFPA will be used for activities in China and the UNFPA may receive US funding even if they pay for abortion.
Note: The administration also proposed deleting UNFPA funding conditions in the proposed FY10 budget, but Congress retained the conditions for FY10.
Legal Services Corporation (LSC)
Current Policy: The FY10 Consolidated Appropriations Act retains a prohibition on LSC funding for any person or entity “that participates in any litigation with respect to abortion.” This prohibition is included by reference to P.L. 104-134
FY11 Administration Budget: Page 1284 of the proposed budget for FY11 includes a change to P.L. 104-134 that would result in LSC funds being made available to persons or entities that engage in abortion litigation provided that LSC funds are not used directly for the abortion related litigation.
Notes: This change would also affect other policies governing the LSC. The administration also proposed changing the LSC policy in the proposed FY10 budget, but Congress retained the policy against funding entities engaged in abortion litigation for FY10.
