ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Monday, March 4, 1996                  TAG: 9603040085
SECTION: EDITORIAL                PAGE: A-6  EDITION: METRO 

EXPECT MORE LIVES TO BE LOST

THE RELIGIOUS right's crusade against abortion rights in the U.S. House of Representatives can claim a victory. But there will be some collateral damage:

An additional 200,000 illegal, unsafe abortions.

5,000 women dead from the effects of unsafe pregnancies or abortions.

500,000 births that would not have been, had women in developing countries had access to birth control.

The child health policy adviser at the U.S. Agency for International Development projects these devastating consequences from the budget compromise that averted yet another government shutdown - but that forced the more moderate Senate and President Clinton to accept an amendment, offered by Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., cutting nearly $200 million from international family-planning programs.

The cut will be even worse than it sounds because most of the money appropriated will not be able to be spent because of restrictions contained in the amendment.

Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, unfortunately supported the funding cut, voting against amendments that would have deleted the Smith amendment, or replaced its provisions with current restrictions that prohibit U.S. funds from paying for abortions.

That's right. The United States has banned use of its foreign-aid funds to pay for abortions since 1973. The objective of the anti-abortion purists is to cut off funds to any organization that, with money from other sources, even provides information about abortions or lobbies its own government to change abortion laws.

That action drastically impedes family-planning agencies that receive funds from AID, the largest supporter worldwide. And in denying women family-planning programs, "pro-life" advocates are ensuring unwanted pregnancies, with all the negative consequences listed above.

As Congress and the president once again start wrestling over a final budget compromise, they should kill the Smith amendment, and save lives.

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