RECOMMENDED...
Four U.S. senators said Wednesday that the Trump administration's effort to pressure 70 other countries into opposing abortion rights may violate a federal law. (Photo: Shawn Baldwin/AP)
Senators Say Trump May Have Violated Federal Law by Pressuring Countries Into Opposing Abortion Rights
The administration, charged Democratic senators, pressured 70 countries to support an effort "to deny resources and education that could help millions of women and girls around the world."
Oct 30, 2019
The Trump administration may have broken a federal law when it lobbied countries to join its effort to attack reproductive rights around the world, four Democratic senators said Wednesday.
Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) wrote to administration officials decrying a letter circulated over the summer by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Health Secretary Alexander Azar, which pressured more than 70 countries to sign a joint statement opposing "harmful" sexual and reproductive health policies.
"The letter may violate the Siljander Amendment, which prohibits use of foreign assistance in lobbying 'for or against abortion.'"
--Sens. Feinstein, Murray, Menendez, and Shaheen
"The letter may violate the Siljander Amendment, which prohibits use of foreign assistance in lobbying 'for or against abortion,'" the senators wrote.
Furthermore, the lawmakers said they were "alarmed that your opposition to abortion care--as stated in the letter--harms women and families, as well as endangers millions of women and girls."
In the letter sent to the countries ahead of a meeting on universal health coverage in September, the U.S. called on officials to sign on to a document that would be presented at the summit. The statement expressed opposition to "a new international right to abortion" and "international policies that weaken the family" including those promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights.
In addition to possibly breaking federal law, the senators wrote Wednesday, the Trump administration had advocated "to deny resources and education that could help millions of women and girls around the world."
The administration was only able to convince 18 countries to sign the agreement in September, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Bahrain, while longtime U.S. allies including the U.K. and France supported an opposing statement affirming that "sexual reproductive health and rights is an integral part of universal health coverage."
In addition to the letter the U.S. sent to dozens of countries, the administration refused to agree to a U.N. resolution seeking to end the use of rape as a weapon of war in April, demanding that references to "sexual and reproductive health" be removed first.
Kelly Craft, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., reiterated on Tuesday that the U.S. "cannot accept references to 'sexual and reproductive health.'"
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The Trump administration may have broken a federal law when it lobbied countries to join its effort to attack reproductive rights around the world, four Democratic senators said Wednesday.
Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) wrote to administration officials decrying a letter circulated over the summer by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Health Secretary Alexander Azar, which pressured more than 70 countries to sign a joint statement opposing "harmful" sexual and reproductive health policies.
"The letter may violate the Siljander Amendment, which prohibits use of foreign assistance in lobbying 'for or against abortion.'"
--Sens. Feinstein, Murray, Menendez, and Shaheen
"The letter may violate the Siljander Amendment, which prohibits use of foreign assistance in lobbying 'for or against abortion,'" the senators wrote.
Furthermore, the lawmakers said they were "alarmed that your opposition to abortion care--as stated in the letter--harms women and families, as well as endangers millions of women and girls."
In the letter sent to the countries ahead of a meeting on universal health coverage in September, the U.S. called on officials to sign on to a document that would be presented at the summit. The statement expressed opposition to "a new international right to abortion" and "international policies that weaken the family" including those promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights.
In addition to possibly breaking federal law, the senators wrote Wednesday, the Trump administration had advocated "to deny resources and education that could help millions of women and girls around the world."
The administration was only able to convince 18 countries to sign the agreement in September, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Bahrain, while longtime U.S. allies including the U.K. and France supported an opposing statement affirming that "sexual reproductive health and rights is an integral part of universal health coverage."
In addition to the letter the U.S. sent to dozens of countries, the administration refused to agree to a U.N. resolution seeking to end the use of rape as a weapon of war in April, demanding that references to "sexual and reproductive health" be removed first.
Kelly Craft, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., reiterated on Tuesday that the U.S. "cannot accept references to 'sexual and reproductive health.'"
The Trump administration may have broken a federal law when it lobbied countries to join its effort to attack reproductive rights around the world, four Democratic senators said Wednesday.
Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) wrote to administration officials decrying a letter circulated over the summer by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Health Secretary Alexander Azar, which pressured more than 70 countries to sign a joint statement opposing "harmful" sexual and reproductive health policies.
"The letter may violate the Siljander Amendment, which prohibits use of foreign assistance in lobbying 'for or against abortion.'"
--Sens. Feinstein, Murray, Menendez, and Shaheen
"The letter may violate the Siljander Amendment, which prohibits use of foreign assistance in lobbying 'for or against abortion,'" the senators wrote.
Furthermore, the lawmakers said they were "alarmed that your opposition to abortion care--as stated in the letter--harms women and families, as well as endangers millions of women and girls."
In the letter sent to the countries ahead of a meeting on universal health coverage in September, the U.S. called on officials to sign on to a document that would be presented at the summit. The statement expressed opposition to "a new international right to abortion" and "international policies that weaken the family" including those promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights.
In addition to possibly breaking federal law, the senators wrote Wednesday, the Trump administration had advocated "to deny resources and education that could help millions of women and girls around the world."
The administration was only able to convince 18 countries to sign the agreement in September, including Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Bahrain, while longtime U.S. allies including the U.K. and France supported an opposing statement affirming that "sexual reproductive health and rights is an integral part of universal health coverage."
In addition to the letter the U.S. sent to dozens of countries, the administration refused to agree to a U.N. resolution seeking to end the use of rape as a weapon of war in April, demanding that references to "sexual and reproductive health" be removed first.
Kelly Craft, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., reiterated on Tuesday that the U.S. "cannot accept references to 'sexual and reproductive health.'"
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy