mr. chairman , i rise in support of the maloney amendment because we must break the deadly political impasse that endangers the health of women around the world . 
the united nations population fund ( unfpa ) has the ability to provide health services and promote maternal health globally . 
yet we deny them funding , choosing to focus on narrow ideological disagreements and not the lifesaving potential of their work . 
we simply can not afford more delay . 
we must seek common ground and that is what the maloney amendment will do . 
disasters put pregnant women at greater than normal risk because of the sudden loss of medical support , compounded in many cases by trauma , malnutrition , disease or exposure to violence . 
we all know that the tsunami took away valuable medical care for women across the affected areas in southeast asia . 
without unfpa we would n't have been able to calculate that 150 , 000 women are currently pregnant in this region . 
without unfpa these women would not have the guarantee of safe , clean environments to deliver their babies . 
they would not have access to the medical support and medicines they need to ensure a healthy birth . 
safe and healthy childbirth should not be a political issue . 
while disagreements about unfpa will certainly remain , continuing to ensure this program is there to rely on has never been more important . 
in such a polarized political environment , we must not sacrifice this opportunity to move forward and renew our commitment to promote the health of women around the world . 
i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the maloney amendment . 
