House Republicans introduce bill to defund UN Population Fund

A group of 40 House Republicans, led by Rep. Chip Roy (Texas), have introduced a bill to defund the United Nations Population Fund, arguing the international body supports China's tyrannical population controls, including forced abortions and forced sterilization of women.

The "No Taxpayer Funding for the United Nations Population Fund Act" would prevent U.S. taxpayer dollars from being spent to support UNFPA, which supports "global population and reproductive health." The Republicans supporting this bill claim UNFPA is "openly complicit in China's inhumane two-child policy and publicly praises China's abusive population-control programs which included as forced abortions and the forced sterilization of women," according to a press statement from Roy's office.

National Review was the first to report that the bill's text would stipulate "no funds available to the Department of State or any other department or agency may be used to provide contributions directly or indirectly to the United Nations Population Fund."

In 2017, President Donald Trump cut $32.5 million from UNFPA after reinstating the "Mexico City policy," which bars U.S. foreign aid to nongovernmental organizations that fund or otherwise support organizations that provide abortions. But President Joe Biden on his first day in office revoked the Mexico City policy and in his FY 2022 budget request to Congress the president is calling for restoring funding to the UN Population Fund.

"American tax dollars should never directly or indirectly support taking of innocent human life through abortion or the dehumanizing act of involuntary sterilization, and they certainly shouldn't be used to support the oppressive, America-hating Chinese Communist Party in any way whatsoever," Roy said. "Former President Trump was right to stop funding the UN Population Fund due to their open partnership with the oppressive Chinese regime and their support for China's atrocious human rights violations. This legislation will continue that policy."

The GOP bill is backed by pro-life groups including the Susan B. Anthony List and March for Life Action.

"We strongly support the No Taxpayer Funding for the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) Act and thank Congressman Chip Roy for his leadership," Susan B. Anthony List said in a statement. "The UNFPA has long been complicit in the Chinese government's coercive birth limitation policies, including forced abortions. Polling from this year shows that a strong majority of Americans don't want their taxpayer dollars funding abortion overseas. This legislation is urgently needed to disentangle American taxpayers from such egregious violations of human rights."