Senate Proceeding on Mar 2nd, 2009 :: 3:03:30 to 3:12:50
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3:03:26 to 3:03:46( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: of support here today as a continue awtionation of that long personal admiration and those who are struggling for in cuba appreciate it as well. mr. reid: madam president, the people of virginia, nevada, new jersey and the other 47 states ar new jersey.

3:03:30 to 3:12:50( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Roger F. Wicker

3:03:47 to 3:04:12( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from mississippi. mr. wicker: mr. president, tomorr pro-life and pro-child amendment to the fiscal year 2009 omnibus appropriation act. but more than that, it will be

3:04:13 to 3:04:34( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: an amendment that is pro-freedom pro-freedom, that follows in the line of reasoning of my friend and my colleague from new jersey. it is antioppression, and anticoercion. my amendment tomorrow will

3:04:35 to 3:04:56( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: restore the kemp-kasten antipopulation control provision that has been a fundamental part of our foreign policy for almost a quarter of a century. since 1985, the kemp-kasten provision has denie federal funding to organizations or programs that, as determined the president,

3:04:57 to 3:05:17( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: participaten a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization. should my amendment pass, then president obama would be able to make an official determination as to whether organizations engage in such coercive practices.

3:05:18 to 3:05:40( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: this kemp-kasten amendment has been included in appropriations bills without substantial changes for 23 years, until today. now, perhaps at this point it would be helpful to my colleagues if i outlined the differences between the mexico

3:05:41 to 3:06:01( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: city policy and the camp-kasten provision. already, as one whose very first acts as president, president obama chose to nullify the so-called mexico the mexico city policy said the u.s. would not groups that promote or provide abortion as a method of family

3:06:02 to 3:06:23( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: planning. according to a gallon up poll released last this pro-life policyas the least popular of the president's actions in his first week in office. only 35% supported funding groups that promote or provide abortions as a method of family

3:06:24 to 3:06:44( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: planning, and 58% oppose this new obama administration policy. i disagreed with president obama on his mexico city policy. i think most americans disagree with president obama on this mexico city decision. i think most americans would rather

3:06:45 to 3:07:06( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: dollars on i organizations that promote abortion as a method of family planning. having said that i'm not surpsed by decision. he ran, frankly, as a pro-abortion candidate. senator mccain ran as a pro-life candidate.

3:07:07 to 3:07:28( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: i think the decision in the issues, but elections have consequences. but can't we all agree that forced abortion is wrong? can't we all agree that coerced sterilization is wrong?

3:07:29 to 3:07:49( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: that's what kemp-kasten has stood for for almost a quarter of a century. regardless of how senators come down on the pro-life or pro-choice debate, can't we all at least agree on this one proposition, that the u.n. shouldn't be able to spend

3:07:50 to 3:08:11( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: american tax dollars on coercion in the name of family planning? that is the issue dealt with in kemp-kasten, and that's the only issue addressed in my amendment. here's what the bill language currently does: it purports to retain kemp-kasten but then goes

3:08:12 to 3:08:34( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: direct funds to the united nations -- provision of law." unquote. notwithstanding any other provision of law. these six words, in effect, anticoercion provision.

3:08:35 to 3:08:55( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: it is either contradictory or purposely deceptive that one portion of the omnibus bill purports to retain kemp-kasten while another paragraph has the real effect of gutting kemp-kasten. one might inquire, why does the

3:08:56 to 3:09:18( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: majority party not trust a president of their own party to make a determination about whether or not u.n. funds provided to coercive abortion programs? surely a majority of this body

3:09:19 to 3:09:41( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: does not favor funding u.n funding unfpa, even if the organization is engaging in coercion. surely we can all agree on that. perhaps not. the truth is that the u.n. population fund, unfpa, has actively supported, comanaged,

3:09:42 to 3:10:03( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: and whitewashed pervasive crimes against women in the guise of family planning. just last year the united states state department found, once again, that the unfpa violated the anticoercion provision of kemp-kasten and, accordingly, reprogrammed all funding

3:10:04 to 3:10:24( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: originally earmarked for the unfpa to other maternal health care and family planning projects. the most recent state department report on unfpa's activities in china shows that u.n. nfpa's funds are indeed funneled to

3:10:25 to 3:10:47( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: chinese agencies that coercively enforce the one-child policy. what has changed in less than a year? are we to believe that organizations have suddenly shifted their policies? this bill gives unfpa a 25% funding increase and a deadly

3:10:48 to 3:11:08( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: exception. what has really changed is that we have a new administration with a pro-abortion agenda. i do were what the american people voted for last november. creating this exception

3:11:09 to 3:11:31( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: specifically mockery of long-standing u.s. policy to protect human rights abroad. if w other parts of the globe, at t very least we should not be encouraging abuse with united states funds.

3:11:32 to 3:11:52( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: we should be pressing the unfpa to conform to human standards instead of trying to change human rights standards to conform to the oppressive chines program. by creating a loophole for unfpa, we regrettably send a

3:11:53 to 3:12:14( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: message to oppressive governments that coercive abortion is really not a serious concern for american citizens. this message cou further from the truth. i urge my colleagues tomorrow to support the wicker amendment and continue our

3:12:15 to 3:12:38( Edit History Discussion )

Roger F. Wicker: policy against coercive abortion. let's continue the time-honored kemp-kasten policy. and, mr. president, i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.