Huffington Post: One Step Closer to Repealing Helms
John Seager, president of Population Connection and Population Connection Action Fund

“…Given that the U.S. is the biggest financial contributor to family planning efforts abroad, [the Helms Amendment] remains a huge obstacle for organizations and clinics dedicated to empowering women to make their own reproductive choices. … Time and time again, research has shown that restricting access to abortion does not stop or even reduce its incidence. While we celebrate the Democrats’ decision to include the repeal of [the Helms Amendment] in the [Democratic] Platform draft, we have to continue our work with vigilance and ensure the draft’s approval and the repeal of the law. Women … around the world will continue to have abortions when they need them. We have a choice: Do we support them and ensure that those abortions are safe, or do we watch them die in dangerous illegal procedures?” (7/5).