Washington, DC - U.S. Congressman Mike Pence, Chairman of the House Republican Conference, made the following statement on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives today regarding H.R. 2410 the Foreign Relations Authorization Act :

"I rise in opposition to the Foreign Relations Authorization Act.

"The American people deserve a foreign relations bill that respects our nation's budget and our nation's value and sadly H.R. 2410 does neither.

"At a time that ordinary Americans are struggling to make ends meet, this legislation would add billions of dollars in new funding to State Department operations.  It expands taxpayer funding of the Peace Corps and the U.N. regular budget by one- third in a single year without any U.N. reform, which is extraordinarily frustrating to many of us who have been fighting to use the power of the purse here in Washington, D.C. and to drive fundamental reform in that body.

"But beyond these extraordinary increases, a single year increase of 35 percent in the State Department's basic salary and operations, this legislation does a disservice to the values of the millions of Americans who cherish the sanctity of life and the sanctity of marriage. This legislation creates a new office and Ambassador for Global Women's issues for women's empowerment internationally.

"Secretary Clinton testified before our committee that it would be the policy of this administration to protect the rights of women, including rights to reproductive health. The Democrats on the committee actually rejected an amendment to clarify that it would not be U.S. policy to lobby countries to legalize, fund or promote abortion. I even offered an amendment in the committee to change language that would require State Department training, reporting and overseas advocacy of foreign laws regarding homosexual activity. I sought to change that to make it clear that State Department employees ought to promote universally recognized human rights, those upon which Americans agree. And that was rejected in the committee.

"This legislation is embracing abortion rights overseas, is embracing the advocacy of changes in laws regarding homosexuality around the world and it advocates a set of values that are at odds with the majority of the American people.

"We deserve a foreign relations budget that respects our pocketbooks and our values. This does neither. I urge its rejection."

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