The State Department claims that because Marie Stopes's partner in family planning work in China, United Nations Family Planning (UNFPA), works with the Chinese government, it cannot funds Marie Stopes's efforts in Africa. According to press reports, the department admitted that this decision was made without investigating the charges. Today, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (NY-14) demanded to know why the State Department did not conduct an investigation of Marie Stopes before making the decision and why the department's previous investigative team that cleared UNFPA of any support of forced abortions in China was disregarded. Maloney sent a letter to Secretary of State Colin Powell seeking answers.

"Let me try to piece this together: they are refusing to fund AIDS relief in Africa based on a partner organization's activities all the way over in China that they did not bother to investigate," said Maloney. "That's a seriously confused game of 'connect-the-dots' that doesn't make sense to anyone except the Bush administration."

"I guess the Administration didn't want to even try to investigate Marie Stopes or even give them the courtesy of a phone call, because they didn't want the embarrassment of another one of their investigative teams saying that funding should be continued, as happened in their decision to de-fund UNFPA last year."

"This is another example of the administration making a decision, then trying to create the fact to fit it."

Maloney has been an outspoken supporter of UNFPA, particularly after the administration cut its $34 million contribution to the program last year. Earlier this year, an amendment to the State Department's appropriation bill that would have restored U.S. funding to UNFPA was stricken on the House floor in a close vote.

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Text of Letter to Secretary Powell:

Colin Powell

Secretary, United States State Department

2201 C Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20520

August 27, 2003

Dear Secretary Powell:

I am disturbed by your agency's decision to invoke Kemp Kasten on the Reproductive Health for Refugees Consortium's critical AIDS program in Africa due to the involvement of Marie Stopes International. Press reports today indicate that your department made the decision based on Marie Stopes's partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). Despite reports that your agency has no evidence of Marie Stopes supporting coercive abortions, it has been reported that your department made its decision without an investigation.

I would ask you to answer the following questions:

Why did your department choose not to investigate its claims against Marie Stopes? Was it concerned that a new investigation would corroborate the Administration's investigative team that said funding should be restored to UNFPA?

A New York Times report ("U.S. Cuts Off Funding for AIDS Program, Provoking Furor," August 27, 2003) quoted a State Department official as saying "This wasn't an ideological decision; it was a legal decision." Could you provide the legal memorandum that supports this decision, particularly because there was no investigation or evidence of Marie Stopes being involved in forced abortions?

If press reports are true, at the very least, your agency should have conducted full investigations before making its decision. I hope that you answer why there was no investigation in this case that affects millions of AIDS-stricken Africans. I hope that you will reconsider the decision to de-fund the AIDS program in Africa, particularly with no investigation or evidence to support it.

I thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,