The Senate has voted 53-46 in favor a joint-resolution granting President Clinton’s request to release $385 million for international family planning on March 1 instead of July 1. Eleven Republicans joined 42 Democrats in supporting the measure on February 25. In January, Clinton requested the early release and certified that the delay in the release of funds was harming family planning programs. The February 25 Senate vote came almost two weeks after the House voted 220-209 in favor of the measure. Senate Democrats blocked immediate consideration of restrictions that would have linked the release of funds to restrictions against U.S. funds going to organizations that perform abortions. The House had voted in support of the restrictive language, a policy imposed by President Reagan and lifted by President Clinton. The issue of restricting the funding may yet surface again, however, as Sen. Tim Hutchinson has introduced a similar bill on which Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott said he will seek a vote later this year. Such a debate is likely to lead to a Democratic filibuster. Though the close vote demonstrated that the 105th Congress has a strong anti-choice element, abortion rights advocates praised the decision to release funds March 1.
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