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CONTACT: Stephen Phelan, 540-551-2547

February 27, 2009                                                                                         

SPhelan@hli.org

HLI President slams Obama's and

Congress' "anti-life one-upmanship"

FRONT ROYAL, VA - Father Thomas J. Euteneuer, president of Human Life International (HLI), today lambasted President Barack Obama for his decision to reverse the Bush administration's action guaranteeing freedom of conscience for medical providers, as well as the members of Congress who voted to restore funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

"Any pretense of ‘moderation' on life issues was long ago dispensed with," said Fr. Euteneuer. "But with the rescinding of the Mexico City Policy, the appointment of dozens of radical anti-life cabinet members and staff, the enormous increase in funding for contraception and irresponsible sex advocacy, and now these grave insults to human life and dignity... one shudders to think what could be next."

 "It's as if the president and Congress are trying to outdo each other for the dishonor of who can forward the most extreme anti-life agenda," said Father Euteneuer.

On Wednesday, Congress approved the restoration of funding to the UNFPA as part of a $410 billion Omnibus spending bill approved by the House of Representatives on Wednesday. Funding for the UNFPA was eliminated under President George W. Bush after it became known that UNFPA supported the enforcement of China's one-child policy, which often includes forced abortion and sterilization. The 1998 report (Clowes, B., "Why the United States Should Not Resume UNFPA Funding", 1999, PRI) which brought this to light was authored by HLI's director of research and training, Brian Clowes, PhD.

"What advocate of human rights thinks coerced abortion and sterilization is a good idea? Yet everyone knows that the UNFPA has been shown to support this policy in China and has refused to distance itself from the practice," said Fr. Euteneuer.

 "Like everyone who believes in human dignity, I am tired of these cowards in Congress trying to sneak these destructive, anti-life measures into bills that are supposed to be helping our country emerge from this recession," said Fr. Euteneuer. "And I'm tired of President Obama's ‘Choice for me, but not for thee' hypocrisy. His audacity is not of hope, but of the destruction of freedom and human life!"

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Human Life International: Creating effective opposition to the culture of death around the world.

Founded in 1981, HLI is the world's largest international pro-life organization and has affiliates in over 87 countries on six continents.