Trump signed an order in the Oval Office, reinstating a ban on U.S. taxpayer money promoting or providing abortion services in foreign nations by NGOs.
The “Mexico City Policy,” was re-issued on the day after the 44th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion across America. It was originally announced at a 1984 United Nations conference, was implemented by former President Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush continued it. President Bill Clinton revoked the policy in 1993 but George W. Bush reinstated it in 2001. Barack Obama taking office in 2009 again revoked it.
The original policy stated that any NGO in a foreign country that wished to receive any American government funding “would neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations.”
When Bush reinstated the policy in 2001, he said, “It is my conviction that taxpayer funds should not be used to pay for abortions or advocate or actively promote abortion, either here or abroad.”
When revoking the law, both Clinton and Obama had called it “excessively broad” and “unwarranted”. Their policies were in line with their more liberal approach to family and marriage, permitting what was previously considered immoral.
Trump’s re-implementation of the policy means that nonprofits working in foreign countries will have to choose between continuing to receive federal funding from U.S. taxpayers or continuing to promote abortion as “family-planning” counseling, but they can’t do both, according to The Washington Post.
We at Hidabrut support this move. As a matter of fact, Hidabrut in Israel has a whole branch called Hidabroot IMA that encourages proceeding with pregnancies as long as there’s no danger to the mother and offering counseling and other assistance to these future mothers who might be facing hardship. We agree with President Trump’s re- implementation of the law from a moral standpoint. Additionally, taxpayer funds should not be used to pay for abortions, not in the U.S. and most certainly not in foreign nations.