U.S. Congress Should Repeal Helms Amendment To Improve Women’s Access To Health Care Globally, Opinion Piece Says
The Hill: Helms 45 years later: It’s time for Congress to repeal it
Kiefer Buckingham, senior policy advocate on public health issues at the Open Society Policy Center
“…Led by Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), opponents [of abortion] wanted to include a provision in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1973 that would prohibit the use of U.S. foreign assistance for abortion ‘as a method of family planning.’ Helms’ amendment, which eventually became law, was antithetical to [the] notion of sovereignty, not to mention reproductive rights. And it still is. … Fast forward 45 years with Democrats having just won 40 seats — including electing a record number of women — in the 2018 midterms, House Democrats have the chance to introduce legislation to repeal the Helms and Hyde amendments to improve access to health care for women around the world…” (12/13).
The KFF Daily Global Health Policy Report summarized news and information on global health policy from hundreds of sources, from May 2009 through December 2020. All summaries are archived and available via search.