{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-authors-of-bi-partisan-language-to-overturn-mexico-city-policy-urge-secretary-powells-support", "CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE, AUTHORS OF BI-PARTISAN LANGUAGE TO OVERTURN MEXICO CITY POLICY URGE SECRETARY POWELL'S SUPPORT", "2001-05-06", "2001", "2001-05", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "05.06.01\n\t\t\t CONGRESSWOMAN BARBARA LEE, AUTHORS OF BI-PARTISAN LANGUAGE TO OVERTURN MEXICO CITY POLICY URGE SECRETARY POWELL'S SUPPORT \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) today joined Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Nancy Pelosi\r\n(D-CA), and James Greenwood (R-PA), in sending a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell urging his support of the Foreign\r\nRelations Authorizations Act for FY02 and FY03, which contains language to overturn the Mexico City Policy.  The bipartisan letter requests a meeting with Secretary Powell to\r\ndiscuss strategies to convince the Administration to reverse its\r\nMexico City Policy and put an end to a measure which prevents foreign\r\nNon-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) from using\r\ntheir own funds for family planning services. The Act includes an\r\namendment offered by Lee containing the text of a H.R. 755,\r\nthe Global Democracy Protection Act, a bipartisan bill authored by Nita\r\nLowey (D-NY), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Nancy Pelosi\r\n(D-CA), and James Greenwood (R-PA).  \"This is not about allowing NGOs to use federal funds to perform abortions. Since 1973, under the Helms Amendment to the  \r\nForeign Assistance Act of 1961, the United States has PROHIBITED\r\nforeign recipients of international family planning aid to use\r\nU.S. taxpayer funds to perform abortions,\" said Lee. \"The bill would\r\nnot fund abortions but would allow foreign NGOs receiving\r\nU.S. aid to use their OWN funds for providing vital family planning\r\nservices.\"  \"It is crucial that women across the world have fundamental access\r\nto health care. Our support of international family planning  \r\n   helps save lives, promotes women's and children's health, and strengthens families and communities around the world,\" said  \r\nLee. \"Often, family planning clinics are the only point of contact\r\nwomen have with the health care system in some countries. It is\r\nessential that family planning counseling as well as information about\r\nHIV/AIDS prevention be provided.\"  On May 03, 2001, the House International Relations Committee voted 26-22 to pass an amendment to the Foreign Relations  \r\n   Authorizations Act for FY02 and FY03 offered by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) to overturn the Memorandum issued by\r\nPresident Bush re-instating the Mexico City international family planning policy.  \"This language, which received bipartisan support on the\r\nInternational Relations Committee, will allow organizations to provide\r\na\r\nwide range of vital family planning services that will help curb the\r\nspread of sexually transmitted diseases,\" said Lee. \"By  \r\n   denying these vital services, we deny women access to methods of contraception, leading to a higher risk of spreading the  \r\n   HIV/AIDS virus.\"  \"The Mexico City policy would be unconstitutional in this country. We should not impose these unfair, dangerous provisions on\r\nwomen in other nations,\" concluded Lee.\r\n###\r\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n \n\t    \t  \n\t\t    \n\t\t    \tNext Article", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/congresswoman-barbara-lee-authors-of-bi-partisan-language-to-overturn-mexico-city-policy-urge-secretary-powells-support"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.5154007598757744, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}