HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	129
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

requesting hawaii's congressional delegation to support the global democracy promotion act, WHICH WOULD REPEAL THE "GLOBAL GAG RULE" AND RELEASE MUCH-NEEDED FUNDS FOR INTERNATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMS.

     WHEREAS, healthcare that includes family planning services available to women in developing countries around the world has been reduced by the "global gag rule", a harmful policy imposed since 2001 by President George Bush on his first day as President; and

WHEREAS, the global gag rule bans foreign family planning programs that receive financial aid from the United States from using their own moneys to provide counseling on abortion services, family planning advocacy, referrals and other services to women; and

WHEREAS, freedom of speech, a fundamental American value, is essential to a thriving democracy;

WHEREAS, the promotion of democracy is a principal goal of United States foreign policy and critical to encouraging democratic institutions in developing countries; and

WHEREAS, the global gag rule is an unjustified intrusion into the private physician-patient relationship that prevents women from receiving certain necessary healthcare services; and

     WHEREAS, it is clear that the global gag rule undermines a key goal of United States foreign policy to improve healthcare in developing nations, and is causing the deaths of some of the poorest women in the world; and

WHEREAS, the World Health Organization reports that over 80,000 women and girls die from unsafe abortions every year and expects that number to reach as many as 200,000 persons; and

WHEREAS, on January 22, 2007, thirty-eight members of the United States Congress introduced the Global Democracy Promotion Act, H.R. 4465, which would prohibit discriminatory policies and restrictive eligibility requirements to foreign nongovernmental organizations with respect to their family planning programs; and

     WHEREAS, the Global Democracy Promotion Act makes clear that United States funds may not be denied to overseas nongovernmental organizations based on the medical services they provide, and that funds may not be used to impose restrictions on free speech and available medical services that would be illegal if applied in the United States; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that Congress is requested to enact H.R. 4465, the Global Democracy Promotion Act, to repeal the restrictions of the global gag rule and release much-needed funds to be used by foreign nongovernmental organizations for their family planning programs; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Minority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and members of Hawaii's congressional delegation.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Congress; International Affairs; Health; Family Planning