mr. chairman , i move to strike the requisite number of words . 
i rise in support of the maloney-snchez-crowley amendment . 
let me tell my colleagues a little bit about what this amendment is about , and i will try to be brief . 
it is about providing women with hygiene kits that include soap , aspirin , sanitary napkins . 
i , like some of my colleagues before me , had a chance to travel there and see what the unfpa is doing there , and i urge my colleagues to vote `` yes '' on the snchez-crowley amendment . 
this is what the un population fund distributes to women devastated by the tsunami . 
by voting for this amendment , you . 
will affirm your support for women and children in dire need of our help . 
the maloney amendment will aid the tsunami recovery effort by providing unfpa with much-needed funding . 
it 's a shame that the u.s. government has not offered their support to this organization . 
i 've traveled to some of the areas hardest hit by the tsunami , and i can attest to their tremendous work . 
our support for the un population fund should be a top priority , because it 's one of the few organizations that provides resources for the care of women and newborn children . 
again , we 're talking about soap , toothpaste , and sanitary napkins -- basic needs . 
unfpa also distributes birthing kits , which are vital . 
nearly half of all women give birth without a skilled attendant present , or any medical care whatsoever . 
these kits are sometimes all that 's available to birthing women . 
for women who have no access to hospitals , we must support organizations that provide these kits . 
it 's a matter of protecting life . 
unfpa provides the bare essentials . 
these supplies are critical to stopping the spread of diseases , like malaria . 
today , congress can make a , statement to those hit hardest by the tsunami . 
we can show our commitment to the recovery effort by supporting unfpa funding . 
today we have a chance to put politics aside and support the ' work of an organization that is pro-mother and pro-child care . 
helping those in need is the right thing to do . 
this should n't be a political issue , this is a moral issue . 
i urge you to vote yes on the maloney/snchez/crowley amendment to help the victims of the tsunami . 
