Senate Minority Leader Thomas A. Daschle (D-S.D.) said that President Clinton has vowed to veto any IMF funding legislation that includes abortion restrictions. Daschle said, “We’re just not going to be blackmailed into accepting language that is totally unacceptable.” White House spokesman Michael McCurry said that President Clinton is “certainly moving” towards a veto.
House Republican conservatives continue to fight for language that would deny U.S. family planning assistance to groups that lobby for reproductive rights. Congress has agreed to allow $1.8 billion in funding for military operations in Bosnia and the Persian Gulf and $387 million for national disaster relief. Conservatives are still arguing for abortion restrictions to be placed in legislation that would provide $18 billion for the International Monetary Fund and approximately $1 billion in past due U.S. payments to the United Nations.
