Congressional Leaders Condemn President Trump’s Decision to Cut Off Funding for the United Nations Population Fund

Congressional Leaders Condemn President Trump’s Decision to Cut Off Funding for the United Nations Population Fund

WASHINGTON, DC — Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-25) and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-1), co-chairs of the House Pro-Choice Caucus, along with Joe Crowley (NY-14), Chairman of the Democratic Caucus, Nita Lowey (NY-17), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee and State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, Congressman Eliot Engel (NY-16), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-14) released the following statement on President Trump’s decision to slash funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). UNFPA supports a range of programs in more than 150 countries focusing on safe birthing practices, anti-human trafficking initiatives, and efforts such as ending child marriage and female genital mutilation. UNFPA also delivers life-saving services to women and girls in war zones and refugee camps. For example, the United States is a major supporter, through the UNFPA, of the main maternity ward in the world’s largest Syrian refugee camp where thousands of babies have been delivered without a single maternal death.

“President Trump’s hypocrisy has reached new heights with his decision to halt U.S. assistance to the United Nations Population Fund. The President just recently claimed to have ‘tremendous respect’ for women and honored their role around the world, and yet within a month he has issued a decision to cut off funding for the UNFPA, which will irreparably harm women and girls around the world. UNFPA works in war zones, refugee camps, and places where other groups are simply unable to provide assistance to the most vulnerable women and girls. In the midst of the most dire humanitarian emergencies, UNFPA protects these women and girls from human trafficking, child marriage, and maternal death. To cut off this funding is a cruel decision that will not only hurt women and their children, but will also further damage the leadership role of the United States around the globe. We call on the President to put women over politics and reverse this decision immediately.”

Featured image courtesy of Getty Images

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