Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
President Donald Trump has expanded the Mexico City Policy, an executive order that prevents groups from providing abortion overseas with US aid money, and is now applying the order to all foreign global health assistance.
National Review is reporting on an additional executive action taken by the president on Monday to modernize the policy by making it apply to all foreign-health assistance provided by government agencies. The new order, called “Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance,” will now apply to the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Defense Department and the Office of U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator.
Formerly, the policy only applied to family planning funds at select agencies and affected $600 million in aid. The expansion will now cover nearly $9 billion in federal aid money and apply to any foreign nongovernmental group that seeks American aid money.
According to the New York Times, “…The rules, issued by the State Department, mean that any foreign nongovernmental group that wants American money for any of its health activities — from AIDS treatment to malaria prevention to safe childbirth practices — must promise not to ‘promote abortion as a method of family planning.’ Already, American taxpayer dollars cannot be used for abortion services abroad…”
The Times goes on to cite the usual pro-abortion talking points aimed at inciting fury against the President’s pro-life position by opining about how this rule will affect “women’s reproductive health.” However, the same article is forced to admit that no one really knows what will be impacted because of the unprecedented nature of this expansion.
On the other hand, pro-life leaders are applauding the move.
“With the implementation of Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance, we have officially ceased exporting abortion to foreign nations. No longer will we undermine the pro-life laws and cultural commitments of other countries by funding organizations like Marie Stopes International that obsessively promote and perform abortion,” said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser.
“By modernizing this important policy and expanding it to include $8.8 billion in foreign aid, President Trump is continuing Ronald Reagan’s pro-life legacy. This executive order does not cut a single penny from U.S. aid, rather it simply ensures our hard-earned tax dollars are used by other health care entities that act consistently to save lives, rather than promoting and performing abortion. Abortion is not health care.”
Even though the international abortion industry is angered by the move, Americans are more than happy to see a moratorium placed upon the use of their taxpayer dollars for abortion.
As the National Review reports, a Marist poll conducted in January of this year found that 83 percent of Americans — including almost 40 percent of those who voted for Hillary Clinton last November — oppose federal funding of abortions overseas.
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