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Volume XIV, Number 41 / May 7, 1999
CONTACT MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE
Urge them to resist attempts to defund UNFPA when the State Department Authorization bill comes to the House floor for debate.
CONTACT MEMBERS OF THE SENATE
Urge them to con-sponsor the Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Equity (EPICC) bill.
Important Dates
May 28-June 1
Congressional Memorial Day Recess
June 8-10
PPFA Political Academy and Lobby Day in Washington, D.C.
July 3-11
July 4th recess
Plan now to meet with members while they are home.
Nadler Amendment Blocked From Floor Vote
Despite promises made by Judiciary Chair Henry Hyde (R-IL) for a "free and open" debate on the bankruptcy reform bill on the House floor, the House Rules committee made that impossible. On May 5, the committee, in setting the rules for debate of the bill on the House floor, voted not to allow Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) to offer an amendment making clinic violence debts non-dischargeable. If such debts were made non-dischargeable they would have to be paid even if the person incurring the debts filed for bankruptcy protection. The committee decided to allow only what they considered to be non-controversial amendments to be offered when the House considered H.R. 833.
Rep. Nadler originally offered the amendment in the House Judiciary Committee where it was defeated on April 21. The Rules Committee vote blocks what would have likely been a close vote and crucial debate over the importance of holding those who commit violence at health centers where abortions are performed or referrals are made responsible for their actions. The bill was debated on the House floor on May 5th, and it was approved by a vote of 313-108.
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) offered the Senate counterpart to the Nadler amendment when the Senate version of the bankruptcy bill was debated in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Schumer’s amendment also lost in committee. We expect Sen. Schumer to offer the amendment during the full Senate debate of the bill.
In anticipation of continued debate on this issue, PPFA took 200,000 anti-clinic violence petitions to the Hill this week.
Sen. Jeffords Introduces UNFPA Funding Act In Senate
At a press conference in Washington, DC on May 5th, Sens. Jim Jeffords (R-VT) and Patty Murray (D-WA) announced the introduction of S. 956, the Senate version of the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) Funding Act of 1999. The House version, H.R. 895, which was introduced in March by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), has 81 co-sponsors as of May 6th. In addition to Sens. Jeffords and Murray, Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), John Chafee (R-RI) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) are original co-sponsors. The bill authorizes $25 million in U.S. funds for UNFPA in FY 2000 and $35 million in FY 2001.
In FY 1995, UNFPA received $35 million from the U.S. In FY 1996, funding dropped to $22.8 million. Funding rose to $25 million in FY 1997 and went down again in FY 1998 to $20 million. In 1999, funding for UNFPA was completely eliminated after it began a pilot voluntary family planning project in 32 counties in China.
The FY 2000 funding bill provides that the amount UNFPA spends in China will be deducted from the U.S. contribution each year unless the President certifies that the UNFPA program in China
- focuses on voluntary family planning information and services,
- conforms to universally recognized human rights principles, and abides by several other stipulations to assure that the program is completely voluntary and free of coercion
- works only in counties where targets, quotas, and coercive measures have been eliminated
- is carried out under the oversight of the UNFPA executive board;
- is subject to regular independent monitoring to ensure compliance,
and;
suspends operations in project counties if violations of guidelines are found.
The bill most likely will be referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-NC) an ardent opponent of family planning.
House Co-sponsors:
Reps. Thomas Allen (D-ME), Brian Baird (D-WA), John Baldacci (D-ME), Howard Berman (D-CA), Brian Bilbray (R-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), Corrine Brown (D-FL), George Brown (D-CA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tom Campbell (R-CA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Michael Capuano (D-MA), John Conyers (D-MI), William Coyne (D-PA), Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Jim Davis (D-FL), William Delahunt (D-MA), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Bob Filner (D-CA), Mark Foley (R-FL), Barney Frank (D-MA), Martin Frost (D-TX), Sam Gejdenson (D-CT), Ben Gilman (R-NY), Jim Greenwood (R-PA), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Joseph Hoeffel, III (D-PA), Stephen Horn (R-CA), Jay Inslee (D-WA), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Sue Kelly (R-NY), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-MI), Tom Lantos (D-CA), John Lewis (D-GA), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Matthew Martinez (D-CA), Jim McDermott (D-WA), James McGovern (D-MA), Cynthia McKinney (D-CT), Marty Meehan (D-MA), Carrie Meek (D-FL), George Miller (D-CA), Patsy Mink (D-HI), James Moran (D-VT), Connie Morella (R-MD), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), John Olver (D-MA), Ed Pastor (D-AZ), Donald Payne (D-VA), John Porter (R-IL), David Price (D-NC), Deborah Pryce (R-OH), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Lynn Rivers (D-MI), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Thomas Sawyer (D-OH), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Pete Stark (D-CA), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Mike Thompson (D-CA), Edolphus Towns (D-NY), Mark Udall (D-CO), Robert Underwood (D-GU), Maxine Waters (D-CA), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Robert Wexler (D-FL), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), David Wu (D-OR), and Albert Wynn (D-MD).
Two More House Members Announce Intentions To Leave Congress
Pro-choice Rep. Robert Wise, Jr. (D-WV) and anti-choice Rep. Bill McCollum (R-FL) have announced there intention to leave the U.S. House of Representatives to seek other offices. This brings to 14 the number of members who are definitely leaving the House in 2000. Several others are contemplating campaigns for other offices. Of those who already have announced that they are retiring, ten are Republicans, 4 are Democrats. Eleven have anti-choice voting records, one mixed and three are pro-choice.
IN THE STATES - State Legislative Update
Family Planning Gets Big Boost In Colorado
After repeatedly saying he would veto family planning funds in the state budget to prevent them reaching organizations that also perform abortions, anti-choice Colorado Gov. Bill Owens (R) changed his mind. He decided that he will not use his line-item veto to eliminate the $1.2 million in the state budget earmarked for family planning services. As reported in the April 20th edition of the Denver Post, Katie Reinisch, vice president for public affairs at PP of the Rocky Mountains (PPRM) said, "It’s clear that the governor’s office floated a trial balloon last week. That balloon turned out to be lead."
The governor maintained, "I want to make sure there is no interruption in women’s health services, and that’s really what that line addresses – more so than family planning." But the battle over who get the family planning funds may not be over. A clinic in Boulder that provides both family planning and abortion services, and possibly PPRM, could be targets for loss of funding at a later date. "If there is a concern about the Boulder clinic, and I think that’s a legitimate concern," said Owens, "that can be handled later through the contracts that the state signs with these private providers. … In terms of what we’re going to do in the future, we’re going to make sure the state Constitution is being followed in terms of the state not funding, directly or indirectly, abortion services."
During his election campaign last year, Owens was reported in the Christian Coalition Voter Guide to have promised to work to eliminate public funding for Planned Parenthood. Now, according to another report in the Denver Post, he says he has no "problem" with Planned Parenthood and sees no trouble with providing family planning funds to Planned Parenthood clinics that do not provide abortion services.
Meanwhile, the Colorado legislature has approved legislation entitled "Family Planning for All" that allows the state to pursue a waiver from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for a state program to provide family planning services to women and men with family incomes up to 150% of poverty. Currently, only women who are pregnant or mothers can receive these services. The waiver would allow poor men and women to receive these services in order to prevent them from incurring their first pregnancy. PPRM estimates that such a waiver would result in providing 35,000 more Coloradans with access to family planning services.
Florida Legislature Approves Bill Requiring Notification For Abortion
Despite reports that legislative leaders had decided not to proceed with any anti-choice bill except the one that would provide for a "choose life" license plate, on April 30th, the legislature completed work on a bill that would require minors to notify a parent prior to obtaining an abortion. Anti-choice Gov. Jeb Bush (R) has said he will sign it into law. The notification bill is similar to a consent bill that was declared unconstitutional by the state’s Supreme Court. The court held that the earlier bill violated the state constitution’s privacy provision.
Carnahan Promises Veto Of Abortion Ban Bill Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan (D), has promised to veto a bill entitled the "Infants’ Protection Act," that supporters maintain will ban so-called "partial birth" abortions. Carnahan vetoed a similar bill in the past, and has consistently insisted that he will not sign a bill that does not include an exception to preserve a woman’s health. The bill passed the Senate on May 5th by a vote of 27-6. A similar bill was approved in the House with 129 members voting to support it. Proponents of the measure believe they have the votes to override Gov. Carnahan’s promised veto. Twenty-three votes are needed for a Senate override and 109 are needed in the House.
“Partially born” as defined in this bill is the point at which a fetus’s belly button passes the cervix. The bill would provide an exception only in the case of life endangerment. A doctor would be charged with second degree murder if he violated the law, and a woman could be charge if she was suspected of taking a "substantial step" that results in the death of the fetus.
So-Called “Partial Birth” Abortion Ban Signed Into Law In Montana
Montana’s ban on so-called "partial birth" abortions has been signed into law by Gov. Marc Racicot (R). Racicot signed an earlier version, which was declared unconstitutional by a state court. Proponents of the new bill say it remedies the vagueness problem cited in the court’s ruling by giving a detailed description of the procedure it claims to seek to criminalize. The only exception provided in the bill would be to save a woman’s life. Doctors found in violation of the law would be subject to up to 10 years in prison, up to $50,000 in fines, and the permanent loss of his or her license to practice medicine.
PP New Mexico Is The Target Of Another Arson Attack
On April 30th, the PP of New Mexico surgical clinic in Albuquerque was the target of an arson attack. A flammable substance was poured around and under the front door and ignited. The resulting fire caused about $5,000 in damage. The repairs from another arson attack, on March 16th, had just been completed. The clinic was closed for repairs from this latest attack until May 4th.
Over the weekend, Ricki Lee McDonald was arrested and charged with arson. Witnesses were able to identify him and he was captured on the clinic’s surveillance tape. McDonald has a previous conviction and has served time in prison for arson attacks at Planned Parenthood and Reproductive Health Services in 1995. He was released several months ago and took up residence near the Planned Parenthood offices.
PP of Central Oklahoma To Raise Funds And Collect Materials For Tornado Victims
PP of Central Oklahoma is in the heart of the area devastated by the tornadoes this week. The affiliate wants to serve its community in its hour of need. All five of the affiliate’s clinic sites are collecting non-perishable food items, clothing and bedding and distributing them community. In addition, contributions are being collected for a staff member who lost everything in the storm.
Donations of money or material can be sent to the affiliate at 619 NW 23rd St., Oklahoma City, OK 73103. Checks made payable to the affiliate and designated "for disaster relief" will be used to provide assistance to the community.
Opposition Watch
Kopp Charged With Dr. Slepian’s Murder
Federal prosecutors have charged James Kopp with last October’s murder of Dr. Barnett Slepian. Kopp, who has been sought as a material witness since shortly after the murder, was charged as the perpetrator after a high-powered rifle was found buried near Dr. Slepian’s home. According to the FBI, forensic evidence obtained from this weapon proved it to be the murder weapon and tied it to Kopp. "We have our suspect and this man James Kopp is our suspect," said Bernard Talbert, the FBI special agent in charge of the case. "We have reason to believe that he should be charged with the murder of Dr. Slepian."
The federal charge has been filed under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE). Kopp is charged with using deadly force to prevent Dr. Slepian from providing reproductive health services. Kopp also is being charged with second degree murder under New York state law. Both charges subject Kopp to up to life imprisonment. The FACE charge also could result in up to $250,000 in fines.
Dr. Slepian was shot to death in his kitchen shortly after his family returned from Friday evening services. The shot by a sniper hiding in the shrubbery surrounding the family home.
Kopp, who has been a fugitive since shortly after the murder, is the second anti-choice murder suspect to have gone underground. He joins Eric Robert Rudolph as federal fugitives being sought for their roles in the deaths of individuals working to provide women access to abortion services. Rudolph is being sought for his role in the bombing of a clinic in Birmingham, AL, during which an off-duty police officer who was providing security for the clinic was killed. A nurse who worked at the clinic was maimed during the attack. Rudolph also has been charged in the bombing at Olympic Park in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympics that resulted in one death and numerous injuries, and for the bombing of a bar in suburban Atlanta that caters to a predominately gay and lesbian clientele.
Quote of the Week: "Woop-de-stinking-doo."
The comment of John Dowless, executive director of the Florida affiliate of the Christian Coalition when it appeared that the only anti-choice bill that would be approved by the Florida legislature would be a "choose life" license plate.
Reported in the April 17 edition of the St. Petersburg Times.
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