Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-29-1988

Abstract

Plaintiffs-appellants Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. ("Planned Parenthood"), Planned Parenthood Center of El Paso, Stewart R. Mott, Stephen L. Isaacs, Sosamma Lindsay, Rebecca Ramos and Jane Doe, on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated, appeal from an order entered in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (Walker, J.) granting the motion of defendants-appellees Agency for International Development ("AID") and M. Peter McPherson, as Administrator of AID, to dismiss the complaint pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6). 670 F.Supp. 538. Appellants challenge the lawfulness of AID's implementation, via clause provisions inserted in family planning grants and cooperative agreements ("Standard Clause"), of the Policy Statement of the United States of America (the "Statement"), which was delivered in August 1984 at the United Nations International Conference on Population in Mexico City. Appellants assert that 1) defendants' actions violate the terms of, and exceed the authority granted by, the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, 22 U.S.C. § 2151 et seq. (1982 and Supp. III 1985), and 2) the Standard Clause imposes impermissible restrictions, as a condition of receiving federal funds, on appellants' first amendment right to speak about and advocate the availability and benefits of abortion and to associate with foreign persons and entities for purposes of such speech and advocacy. In addition, Planned Parenthood claims that the Standard Clause violates its first amendment rights by requiring it to espouse, circulate and enforce views with which it does not agree.

The district court granted defendants' motion to dismiss the complaint, pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6), finding that 1) the Statement and Standard Clause are within 651*651 defendants' statutory and administrative authority, and 2) appellants' first amendment claims present non-justiciable political questions.

We agree that defendants acted within their statutory and administrative authority; however, we conclude that the first amendment claims do not present non-justiciable political questions. Therefore, we affirm in part, reverse in part and remand this action to the district court for adjudication of appellants' first amendment claims.

Comments

838 F.2d 649 (1988)

PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AMERICA, INC., Planned Parenthood Center of El Paso, Stewart R. Mott, Stephen L. Isaacs, Sosamma Lindsay and Rebecca Ramos, on behalf of themselves and others similarly situated, and Jane Doe, on behalf of herself and others similarly situated, Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, and M. Peter McPherson, as Administrator of the Agency for International Development, Defendants-Appellees.

No. 551, Docket 87-6246.

United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit.

Argued December 4, 1987.

Decided January 29, 1988.

New York Law School Location: File # 491, Box # 121

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