Blumenthal Implores President, Senate Colleagues to Correct Improper Implementation of Helms Amendment, Reduce Barriers to Safe Abortion for Women and Girls in Conflict-Affected Regions
“As the world's largest donor of assistance around the world, the United States can and should do better and do more to provide health care that girls and women vitally need when they become vulnerable and, in fact, victims of terror inflicted by these heinous criminal acts.”
“[I]t remains essential that we recognize the full scope of the post-rape health care needed by survivors of rape, who hideously and gruesomely have been victims of a tool of terrorism by ISIL. Fully countering ISIL’s terror strategy means providing necessary and compassionate care for girls and women who have been victims…”
(Washington, DC) – Today, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) spoke on the Senate floor to implore President Obama and his Senate colleagues to correct improper implementation of Helms Amendment and reduce barriers to safe abortion for women and girls in conflict-affected regions. As ISIL and Boko Haram increasingly use rape as a tool of warfare, language from the Helms Amendment is incorrectly restricting access to abortions, forcing women and girls to carry unwanted pregnancies to full term and risk being shunned by their communities. Blumenthal has led Senate efforts urging the Administration to increase protections and remove barriers to safe abortion for women and girls in conflict-affected areas, writing letters to the State Department and President Obama in September and October, respectively.
“We cannot allow for ISIL to terrorize and disrupt communities, to exert control over women and girls, and in the case of the Yazidis, to impregnate them purposefully and relentlessly. Survivors should not be forced to carry pregnancies to full term simply because access to reproductive health care is not available following their vicious assault. We cannot stand idly by witnessing such. The United States must work to increase access to health care, especially abortion services, and most especially for the Yazidi girls and women who were purposefully impregnated as a tool of terrorism by ISIL.”
“Tomorrow is the 42nd anniversary of the Helms Amendment. For its entire existence, it has been incorrectly interpreted, and it continues to serve as a critical obstacle in our foreign aid efforts to provide for safe abortions in the case of rape, incest, and life endangerment… preventing our foreign aid funds from being used for that purpose not only denies critical assistance to the Yazidi girls and women but also overly constrains the assistance of this great nation to the victims of terror and horror abroad.”
“[I]t remains essential that we recognize the full scope of the post-rape health care needed by survivors of rape, who hideously and gruesomely have been victims of a tool of terrorism by ISIL. Fully countering ISIL’s terror strategy means providing necessary and compassionate care for girls and women who have been victims and who have been shunned by their families. They have been rejected by their communities. They have been victims many times over as a result of these crimes, heinous crimes, committed against them.”
“As the world's largest donor of assistance around the world, the United States can and should do better and do more to provide health care that girls and women vitally need when they become vulnerable and, in fact, victims of terror inflicted by these heinous criminal acts.”
Senator Blumenthal’s full remarks are below.
I am here to support the bipartisan efforts and goals of my colleagues in Senate Resolution 310 which condemns the ongoing sexual violence perpetrated by ISIL against women and children from Yazidi and other religious communities. The horrific and despicable actions of ISIL against women and girls who are kidnapped and enslaved, tortured, raped and impregnated in conflict-affected regions there and others areas around the world is one of the horrors of terrorism.
And this resolution addresses it, but it could and should have gone much farther. In fact, it lacks the recognition of the full range of support that Yazidi survivors of sexual violence desperately need. That's the reason I offered two amendments to improve this important resolution to urge the president to exercise his existing authority. No new authority is necessary for him to provide and support age-appropriate, comprehensive post violence care, including provision of treatment to prevent HIV infection, trauma and surgical care, mental health services, social and legal support, and a full range of medically necessary reproductive health services, including emergency contraception, safe abortion care, and maternal health services.
When the horrors that ISIL inflicts on the Yazidis came to light in "The New York Times" report entitled "ISIS Enshrines a Theology of Rape," including systemic rape of women and children in ISIS-held territory, I demanded that our great nation take action. We cannot allow for ISIL to terrorize and disrupt communities, to exert control over women and girls, and in the case of the Yazidis, to impregnate them purposefully and relentlessly. Survivors should not be forced to carry pregnancies to full term simply because access to reproductive health care is not available following their vicious assault. We cannot stand idly by witnessing such. The United States must work to increase access to health care, especially abortion services, and most especially for the Yazidi girls and women who were purposefully impregnated as a tool of terrorism by ISIL.
I've called on the Administration multiple times to confront this horror. In September, I led a letter with five of my Democratic colleagues to Secretary Kerry, calling on the State Department to declare Iraqi religious minorities, including the Yazidis, as protected minority groups, so they could seek refugee assistance within Iraq’s border. And in October I led a letter with 27 of my Democratic colleagues calling on the president to take action to properly implement existing law – existing law includes the Helms Amendment.
Tomorrow is the 42nd anniversary of the Helms Amendment. For its entire existence, it has been incorrectly interpreted, and it continues to serve as a critical obstacle in our foreign aid efforts to provide for safe abortions in the case of rape, incest, and life endangerment.
So the letter that we wrote to the administration – and I ask that it be entered into the record along with the “New York Times" article and the response of the Administration dated December 7, 2015. It very simply asks that the administration -- quote -- "take action to correct the overly constrained implementation of the Helms Amendment, which serves as a critical barrier to safe abortion, particularly impacting women and girls fleeing conflict."
And it asks the Administration to recognize that American foreign aid can be used to fund safe abortions, in the cases of rape, incest, or life endangerment. That's a very simple principle. And preventing our foreign aid funds for being used from that purpose not only denies critical assistance to the Yazidi girls and women but also overly constrains the assistance of this great nation to the victims of terror and horror abroad.
Today the United States Senate will pass Resolution 310, and I have joined in supporting it. I am deeply disappointed that the Administration essentially has denied any even consideration of a change in policy. This action does not mean that the United States should be complacent regarding the dismal state of protection for the Yazidi girls and women. The amendments that I offered were rejected by my republican colleagues, and I understand my colleagues' goal of expressing the Senate's concern for girls and women and others, despite my reservation and profound disappointment with the administration's reaction and the denial of these two amendments, I am supporting this resolution, and I have withdrawn my amendments, recognizing the reality of our current situation on the floor of the united states senate.
But it remains essential that we recognize the full scope of the post-rape health care needed by survivors of rape, who hideously and gruesomely have been victims of a tool of terrorism by ISIL. Fully countering ISIL’s terror strategy means providing necessary and compassionate care for girls and women who have been victims and who have been shunned by their families. They have been rejected by their communities. They have been victims many times over as a result of these crimes, heinous crimes, committed against them. I hope that my fellow Senators will join me as I continue to call on the Administration to right this wrong. As the world's largest donor of assistance around the world, the United States can and should do better and do more to provide health care that girls and women vitally need when they become vulnerable and, in fact, victims of terror inflicted by these heinous criminal acts. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
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