Clinton Reiterates Obama Administration's Support For Global Family Planning

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Sexual Health / STDs;  Abortion
Article Date: 24 Apr 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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In her first congressional testimony since her confirmation hearing, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday fielded questions from two antiabortion-rights lawmakers regarding the Obama administration's international family planning policies, the AFP/Independent Online reports (AFP/Independent Online, 4/23). Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) asked Clinton if the Obama administration was attempting to "weaken or overturn pro-life laws and policies in African and Latin American countries." Clinton said that she and Smith have "a very fundamental disagreement," adding that she has witnessed how inadequate family planning and health care contributes to women's suffering in African, Latin American and Asian countries (AP/Google.com, 4/22). She continued, "It is my strongly held view that you are entitled to advocate, and everyone who agrees with you should be free to do so anywhere in the world, and so are we." She added, "We happen to think that family planning is an important part of women's health, and reproductive health includes access to abortion that I believe should be safe, legal and rare." Clinton continued, "I've spent a lot of my time trying to bring down the rate of abortions, and it has been my experience that good family planning and good medical care brings down the rate of abortion. Keeping women and men in ignorance and denied the access to services actually increases the rate of abortion."

Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) said, "I don't believe we should use American foreign policy to export abortion," adding, "This will undermine, in my view, our foreign relations in many areas throughout the world, including Latin America and Africa and among Muslim peoples." Clinton said, "We have for eight years followed the policy that you have described." She continued, "And I think we've gone backwards. We've gone backwards in the real, genuine care that we have given to women."

Clinton also spoke about her work as first lady in the 1990s on a campaign to reduce teen pregnancy that included information on contraception and abortion. She said, "I'm sad to report that after an administration of eight years that undid so much of the good work, the rate of teenage pregnancy is going up" (AFP/Independent Online, 4/23).

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