Family Planning Called Part Of Foreign Policy

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on Tuesday asserted that family planning was an important component of U.S. foreign policy and urged Congress to support an administration-backed measure that would speed up the release of money for family-planning programs overseas.

The House is to vote Thursday on such a measure, as well as on an alternative that would bar U.S. aid to groups that perform abortions even if they use their own private money.

Albright, making the administration’s strongest statement yet on behalf of family planning, called it an important tool by which the United States could demonstrate its leadership in the world.