WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging him to reverse the State Department’s decision to destroy over $9 million dollars in family planning commodities intended to support women in crisis settings globally.
“We write to object to the State Department’s proposed destruction of more than $9 million in taxpayer-funded family planning commodities purchased to provide support to women in crisis settings, including war zones, refugee camps and other extremely poor communities where access to family planning contraceptives is critical,” wrote the Senators. “Family planning contraceptives are part of life-saving humanitarian care, reducing unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions, improving health outcomes for women, lowering the risk of maternal and child mortality and saving lives."
“This action would be a waste of U.S. taxpayer dollars as well as an abdication of U.S. global leadership in preventing unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and maternal deaths – key goals of U.S. foreign assistance,” continued the Senators. “U.S. family planning assistance reaches 47.6 million women and couples every year, preventing 8.1 million unintended pregnancies, 5.2 million unsafe abortions and 34,000 maternal deaths.”
“The Administration has offered no justification for why millions of dollars of already-purchased commodities should go to waste,” concluded the Senators. “We urge you to quickly reverse the decision to destroy these supplies and transfer these valuable commodities to a country or partner that can ensure they are delivered to women around the world.”
Full text of the letter can be found HERE and below.
Dear Secretary Rubio:
We write to object to the State Department’s proposed destruction of more than $9 million in taxpayer-funded family planning commodities purchased to provide support to women in crisis settings, including war zones, refugee camps and other extremely poor communities where access to family planning contraceptives is critical. These supplies do not include support for abortion services and are in full compliance with all U.S. foreign assistance laws, including the Kemp-Kasten amendment. Family planning contraceptives are part of life-saving humanitarian care, reducing unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions, improving health outcomes for women, lowering the risk of maternal and child mortality and saving lives.
It is our understanding that the State Department has already initiated steps for imminent destruction of these commodities, including at a U.S.-funded warehouse in Belgium, as well as other locations. This action would be a waste of U.S. taxpayer dollars as well as an abdication of U.S. global leadership in preventing unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions and maternal deaths – key goals of U.S. foreign assistance. U.S. family planning assistance reaches 47.6 million women and couples every year, preventing 8.1 million unintended pregnancies, 5.2 million unsafe abortions and 34,000 maternal deaths.
While we disagree with the decision to cancel the family planning programs these commodities were intended to support, we are now concerned that the Administration intends to destroy, at additional cost, products that could be transferred to other countries or assistance partners. These supplies were purchased to fulfill Congressionally approved and appropriated programs that have a long history of bipartisan support. The Administration has offered no justification for why millions of dollars of already-purchased commodities should go to waste.
We urge you to quickly reverse the decision to destroy these supplies and transfer these valuable commodities to a country or partner that can ensure they are delivered to women around the world.
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