Obama Reverses Bush
‘Gag’ Curbing Funds for Family Counseling
BLUE CROWN
FUTURES
By Aliza Marcus and Hans Nichols
Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- President Barack
Obama signed an executive order lifting the ban
on sending U.S. government funds to organizations
that provide abortion counseling with money from
other sources as part of overseas family planning
programs.
Obama’s decision marks a reversal of the
so-called global gag rule, devised by President Ronald
Reagan in 1984. President Bill
Clinton, a Democrat, lifted the rule, which was
reinstated by President George
W. Bush when he took office in 2001.
Obama signed it at the White House this
afternoon, administration spokesman Bill
Burton said.
U.S. law bars foreign assistance from being used
to support or encourage abortion as a method of
family planning, according to a statement
on the Web site of the U.S. Agency for International
Development in Washington. This remains in place.
Obama reversed an executive order that cuts off
funding to groups whose abortion-related activities
are paid by other sources, except in cases of a
threat to the woman’s life, rape or incest.
The gag rule also was known as the Mexico City
policy, so called because Reagan ordered it
announced at a United Nations- sponsored conference
in Mexico City. The restriction covered U.S.
international family-planning assistance for groups
that provide contraceptives and produce educational
material on reproductive health and family planning,
if they also support abortion.
Critics called the restriction a gag rule, saying
it prevented groups from even speaking out on
abortion issues, if they wanted U.S. money.
“Because of the global gag rule, local
reproductive health care organizations abroad have
faced a dangerous dilemma,” Planned Parenthood,
the New York-based reproductive health-care group, said
on its Web site.
The choice for groups overseas has been to either
accept U.S. funds “but deny women lifesaving
services and information, or reject U.S. assistance
and be forced to cut crucial prevention services --
with devastating results,” the group said.
To contact the reporters on this story: Aliza
Marcus in Washington at amarcus8@bloomberg.net;
Hans
Nichols in Washington at hnichols2@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: January 23, 2009 16:51 EST
