White House draws line over AIDS, birth control

WASHINGTON -- By restricting the use of federal AIDS-fighting money by organizations that promote or perform abortions overseas, President Bush is trying to balance his firm anti-abortion policies with his new commitment to battle the AIDS epidemic.

Under the policy, such organizations' family planning operations would be prohibited from involvement in anti-AIDS work.

The plan drew praise Saturday from anti-abortion forces, but groups that advocate abortion rights and provide health services in poor countries were angry. "They're placing a gag rule on health organizations," said Kirsten Sherk, spokeswoman for international programs at Planned Parenthood.

Outlined by a senior White House official and in a State Department memo, the policy deals with disbursement of federal money under Bush's proposed new $15 billion global AIDS relief program to social service agencies that promote or perform abortions. To receive the money, they would have to administer AIDS programs separately from family planning, the official said.

Not all the conditions for acceptable compliance were immediately clear.

AIDS and birth control programs run by an organization in different countries probably would meet the test if the program finances were separate, the official said. Also probably OK would be a group's programs operated at distinct sites in a single country.

The intent is to ensure that abortion services receive no new money, a position demanded by abortion rights opponents, who are strong Bush supporters.

As one of the first acts of his presidency, Bush reinstated the so-called "Mexico City policy" that President Clinton had reversed. The policy, adopted by President Reagan in 1984, bars U.S. money from international groups that support abortion, even with their own money, through direct services, counseling or lobbying activities.

The White House official described the new policy as consistent with Bush's anti-abortion position while still focusing on his goal of fighting AIDS.

Douglas Johnson, legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee, said the policy is a positive step because it would make sure that U.S. aid would not be used to encourage HIV-infected pregnant women to have abortions.

But Planned Parenthood's Sherk argued the policy is unworkable. Women, especially in poor countries, are unlikely to visit separate facilities to meet different health care needs. Additionally, the costs of setting up separate facilities would be prohibitive for cash-strapped nongovernmental organizations.

Reflecting that divide, a memo to Secretary of State Colin Powell from a top aide on Tuesday, titled "Your Meeting with the President regarding the Mexico City Policy and U.S. funding for AIDS assistance," predicted "great controversy" on Capitol Hill.

"Hill conservatives will not support a policy that provides carve-out for HIV/AIDS projects performed by foreign NGOs who also perform abortions or support abortion policies," the memo said. "Moderate and liberal members of both sides of the aisle will support such a carve-out."

Indeed, applying abortion-related restrictions to AIDS funding could trigger a messy fight with Democrats in Congress and slow anti-AIDS legislation that is a key component of Bush's "compassionate conservative" agenda.

In his State of the Union address, Bush asked Congress to approve $10 billion in new money and $5 billion in already allocated assistance over five years to provide life-extending drugs to 2 million people and to prevent 7 million new infections. The aid would be targeted to the poorest, most AIDS-ravaged 14 countries of Africa and the Caribbean.

The official said Bush has not decided whether to try to have the restrictions written into the legislation or to implement them through executive order.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., a surgeon who has done volunteer medical work in Africa, has strongly advocated the money and said Friday he hoped to have the bill on the Senate floor by mid-March.