{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/international-relations-committee-passes-congresswoman-lees-bi-partisan-amendment-to-overturn-mexico-city-anti-family-planning-policy", "INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE PASSES CONGRESSWOMAN LEE'S BI-PARTISAN AMENDMENT TO OVERTURN MEXICO CITY ANTI-FAMILY PLANNING POLICY", "2001-05-01", "2001", "2001-05", "Democrat", "House", "CA", "Barbara Lee", "L000551", "lee.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "05.01.01\n\t\t\t INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE PASSES CONGRESSWOMAN LEE'S BI-PARTISAN AMENDMENT TO OVERTURN MEXICO CITY ANTI-FAMILY PLANNING POLICY \n\t\t\tWashington, DC - The House International Relations Committee today voted 26-22 to pass an amendment to the Foreign\r\n   Relations Authorizations Act for FY02 and FY03 offered by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) to overturn the Memorandum\r\nissued by President Bush re-instating the Mexico City international family planning policy.  The Mexico City Policy prohibits foreign non-governmental\r\norganizations receiving U.S. federal funds from promoting or providing\r\nfamily planning services. By placing these restrictions on family\r\nplanning services, the Administration is severely limiting the\r\nability of family planning programs in developing countries to curb the\r\nspread of sexually transmitted diseases, including\r\nHIV/AIDS, stop unwanted pregnancies, and utilize proper population\r\ncontrol mechanisms.  \"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. \"By denying these vital services, we deny women access to methods\r\nof contraception, leading to a higher risk of spreading\r\nthe HIV/AIDS virus. This amendment, which received bipartisan support,\r\nwill allow organizations to provide a wide range of vital\r\nfamily planning services that will help curb the spread of sexually\r\ntransmitted diseases.\"  The amendment offered by Lee contained the text of a H.R. 755, the\r\nGlobal Democracy Protection Act, a bipartisan bill authored\r\nby Nita Lowey (D-NY) Christopher Shays (R-CT) Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and\r\nJames Greenwood (R-PA).  \"I would like to thank all the Democrats and the Republicans on the International Relations Committee who worked with us in a\r\nbi-partisan manner to help overturn this misguided policy that limits women's access to international family planning services,\"  \r\nsaid Lee. \"Often, family planning clinics are the only point of contact\r\nwomen have with the health care system in their country. It\r\nis essential that family planning counseling as well as information\r\nabout HIV/AIDS prevention be provided.\"  \"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.  Congresswoman Lee thanked Ranking Democratic Member Tom Lantos (D-CA) and the International Relations Committee staff\r\nfor all of their hard work. She also thanked the Democrat and Republican authors of the bill and urged her House colleagues to\r\npass the Foreign Relations Authorization Act when it comes to the House Floor. \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/international-relations-committee-passes-congresswoman-lees-bi-partisan-amendment-to-overturn-mexico-city-anti-family-planning-policy"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5791179612278938, "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"}