Two members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation urge President Obama to spend more money on family planning overseas. U.S. Representatives Gwen Moore of Milwaukee and Tammy Baldwin of Madison, both Democrats, were among 73 members of the House who signed on to a letter urging the Obama administration to provide one billion dollars in funding for international family planning in the 2011 budget.
The letter claims the many benefits such an investment will bring include environmental security, political stability and maternal and child survival. The letter cites a report released by the United Nations this year, which argues that increased funding for family planning around the world will help people to mitigate the effects of climate change, and be in a better position to adapt to it.
In December, the House and Senate passed legislation to increase U.S. support for family planning around the world to $648 million – nearly a 40 percent increase from just two years ago, and more than a hundred million more than last year. That increase could help provide access to contraceptives to more than 3.5 million women, according to the group Population Connection, which also claims there are more than 200 million women who want to prevent or delay pregnancy but have no access to birth control.
Bob Hague (:40) AUDIO: Bob Hague reports (:40 MP3)
