Meeks Issues Statement on Trump Administration's Destruction of $10 Million in Contraceptives

Washington, D.C. - Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement on the Trump administration's decision to destroy $10 million worth of family planning commodities rather than sending them to communities in need:

"I am appalled by the Trump administration's deliberate decision to destroy desperately needed contraceptives and other family planning products that could have protected the health and safety of women and families around the world.

"Organizations offered to buy these family planning commodities from the U.S. government to ensure they could be used and not go to waste. Instead, the administration is purposely wasting $10 million in taxpayer-funded commodities, an act of cruelty and hypocrisy from officials who claim to oppose government waste. This is not due to ignorance; it's a deliberate choice.

"Members of Congress have been sounding the alarm for months, urging the administration to sell or donate these contraceptives. Our calls have been ignored and legitimate oversight blocked. This is why Representatives Lois Frankel, Grace Meng, and I introduced the Saving Lives and Taxpayer Dollars Act, along with Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Brian Schatz, in July. The legislation would ensure U.S. taxpayer-purchased foreign aid commodities reach their intended beneficiaries rather than go to waste or be destroyed. The Trump administration and the State Department under Secretary Rubio have repeatedly demonstrated they cannot be trusted to do the right thing for the American people and our partners and allies abroad."