,i #aaith ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #bdci ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,march #bg1 #bjbe,ms4 ,houlahan 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,moore of ,wisconsin1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,connolly1 ,mr4 ,vargas1 ,mr4 ,pocan1 ,ms4 ,bonamici1 ,mr4 ,carson1 ,mr4 ,case1 ,ms4 ,omar1 ,mr4 ,peters1 ,mrs4 ,dingell1 ,ms4 ,tokuda1 ,mrs4 ,hayes1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,ms4 ,strickland1 ,mr4 ,gottheimer1 ,mr4 ,nadler1 ,ms4 ,jacobs1 ,mr4 ,crow1 ,ms4 ,titus1 ,mrs4 ,fletcher1 ,ms4 ,brown1 ,mr4 ,quigley1 ,ms4 ,pingree1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,mr4 ,bell1 ,ms4 ,mc,collum1 ,ms4 ,ansari1 ,ms4 ,matsui1 ,ms4 ,meng1 ,ms4 ,johnson of ,texas1 ,ms4 ,wasserman ,schultz1 ,mr4 ,moulton1 ,ms4 ,kelly of ,illinois1 ,mr4 ,auchincloss1 ,mr4 ,johnson of ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,costa1 ,mr4 ,veasey1 ,ms4 ,brownley1 ,mr4 ,meeks1 ,mr4 ,cohen1 ,ms4 ,de,gette1 and ,ms4 ,velzquez7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to authorize contributions to the ,united ,nations ,population ,fund1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,support ,,unfpa ,funding ,act4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,the ,united ,nations ,population ,fund 7,,unfpa7 is the ,united ,nations sexual and reproductive health agency4 7#b7 ,,unfpa was founded with the bipartisan leadership of the ,united ,states and advances ,united ,states strategic interests to promote peace and stability overseas by working in more than #aej countries to end preventable maternal deaths1 the unmet need for contraception1 and gender-based violence and other harmful practices1 including female genital mutilation and child marriage4 7#c7 ,the ,multilateral ,organization ,performance ,assessment ,network1 also known as ,,mopan1 of which the ,united ,states is a member1 conducted a thorough evaluation of ,,unfpa's organizational performance1 effectiveness1 and results4 ,the evaluation1 released in ,january #bjbe1 concluded that ,,unfpa is a highly relevant and effective organization that is successfully delivering on its mandate4 ,,unfpa has been an excellent steward and partner to the ,united ,states1 ensuring that all ,united ,states financial contributions are kept in a segregated account and in compliance with ,united ,states legal restrictions4 ,,unfpa does not fund abortion or promote abortion as a method of family planning4 ,,unfpa opposes all forms of coercion and involuntary sterilization4 7#d7 ,all ,,unfpa programming is guided by principles adopted by #agi governments1 including the ,united ,states1 at the #aiid ,international ,conference for ,population and ,development4 ,the principles include that reproductive health care programs should provide the widest range of services without any form of coercion4 ,all couples and individuals have the basic right to decide freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children and to have the information1 education1 and means to do so44 7#e7 ,,unfpa extends and supports the ,united ,states investment in global safety1 stability1 and security by reaching women and girls in politically unstable regions4 ,,unfpa also plays a pivotal role in meeting protection and health care needs in countries experiencing complex humanitarian emergencies4 7#f7 ,,unfpa ensures access to health care and essential supplies for women and families affected by humanitarian crises1 including those arising from natural disasters1 armed conflicts1 and other emergencies4 7#g7 ,the termination of funding for several ,,unfpa programs restricts ,,unfpa's critical work1 endangering lives across the world4 ,without reversal1 ,,unfpa cannot continue addressing the needs of the following3 7,a7 ,the nearly #hjj women and adolescent girls who die each day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth1 most of which occur in developing countries and more than half of which occur in fragile and humanitarian settings4 7,b7 ,the more than #bbf1jjj1jjj women of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries who want to avoid pregnancy and are not using a modern contraceptive method4 7,c7 ,the estimated #a in #c women who experience gender-based violence4 7,d7 ,the estimated #bcj1jjj1jjj women who have survived some form of female genital mutilation4 7,e7 ,the estimated #ab1jjj1jjj girls who are forcibly married before the age of #ah each year4 7#h7 ,voluntary family planning is central to global health1 equality and women's empowerment1 and it is a key factor in poverty reduction1 enabling individuals and families to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and economic well-being4 ,providing access to family planning reduces the need for abortion as it helps prevent unintended pregnancies4 7#i7 ,in ,march #bjbe1 thousands of ,americans1 representing all #ej ,states1 expressed their support for the lifesaving work of ,,unfpa4 #c4 ,statement of policy ,it is the policy of the ,united ,states as follows3 7#a7 ,improving the status of women around the world is a strategic priority for ,united ,states foreign policy and development efforts1 contributing to global stability and economic growth4 7#b7 ,the ability of individuals to freely determine whether1 when1 and with whom to have children1 and to attain the highest standard of health1 supports both human rights and sustainable development1 fostering more stable and prosperous societies4 7#c7 ,access to voluntary contraception and reproductive health care is a cost-effective intervention that enhances women's economic participation1 reduces poverty1 and strengthens communities--advancing ,united ,states strategic interests4 7#d7 ,,unfpa is a key partner in advancing global health1 stability1 and economic development by improving the status of women and expanding access to voluntary family planning and reproductive health care4 7#e7 ,,unfpa plays a vital role in ensuring that family planning and reproductive health programs are voluntary1 rights-based1 and aligned with international standards--helping to prevent instability and improve health outcomes in vulnerable regions4 7#f7 ,financial support for ,,unfpa aligns with ,united ,states interests by promoting global health1 reducing maternal mortality1 and fostering development in ways that contribute to more stable and self-sufficient nations4 ,the ,united ,states ,government remains committed to providing targeted1 cost-effective funding to support these efforts4 #d4 ,authorization of appropriations 7a7 ,in general ,there is authorized to be appropriated to the ,president1 in addition to funds otherwise made available1 not less than #ej1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbf and not less than #ee1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbg to support the core functions and programs of the ,united ,nations ,population ,fund 7,,unfpa71 which may include the following3 7#a7 ,ending preventable maternal deaths4 7#b7 ,ending the unmet need for contraceptives and promoting a voluntary approach to family planning4 7#c7 ,ending gender-based violence4 7#d7 ,ending other harmful practices1 such as child marriage and female genital mutilation4 7#e7 ,supporting ,united ,states national security and humanitarian efforts by operating in areas where medical infrastructure or services have been destroyed or limited by natural disasters1 armed conflict1 or other humanitarian emergencies4 7b7 ,availability ,amounts authorized to be appropriated under subsection 7a7 are authorized to remain available until expended4