Risch Condemns Use of U.S. Taxpayer Dollars for Abortions

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement regarding the Center for Disease Control's (CDC) violation of the Helms Amendment by using American taxpayer dollars from the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to fund abortion services in Mozambique. The CDC recently disclosed that PEPFAR funds were used to pay health workers who performed at least 21 abortions.

"It is disgusting that the Biden Administration has allowed U.S. taxpayer dollars to be used to perform abortions overseas. This is not only illegal - it cuts against deeply held American values. The CDC must be investigated for its misuse of PEPFAR funds, and those who have violated long-standing U.S. laws that protect life must be held accountable. This violation means that the future of the PEPFAR program is certainly in jeopardy. I will not support one dollar of American money going towards abortion anywhere in the world, and I will do all I can to ensure this never happens again.

"For 20 years, PEPFAR has been a global health issue with deep bipartisan agreement and respect for life, but the actions of the CDC have polarized and destroyed this bipartisan foundation. Whether CDC staff were being overly zealous, stupid, evil, or inept, they have violated the law and done a disservice to the country and those suffering from AIDS worldwide."

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