On his fourth day as President of the United States, Donald Trump has reinstated the Mexico City Policy, the Reagan-era policy -- known to critics as the "Global Gag Rule" -- that cuts off all U.S. funding to health providers in other countries that allow or advocate for abortions or even offer abortion counseling.
Many poor countries rely on U.S. funding for healthcare services, and those providers or NGOs that offer abortion-related treatments will no longer be given any resources whatsoever. Women in these countries -- where unplanned pregnancies are more rampant than anywhere else -- will now have a more difficult time attaining contraception or other reproductive health services.
Opponents of the policy see its reinstatement as evidence that Trump's agenda is threatening to women. Trump's pro-life policy restoration comes days after the Women's March was held in cities across the country and has since been recorded as one of the biggest protests in U.S. history.
Pro-life advocates, of course, are pleased with today's decision. “We applaud President Trump for putting an end to taxpayer funding of groups that promote the killing of unborn children in developing nations,” Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, said in a statement.
The consensus among health experts is that past attempts to restrict abortion services in countries that receive U.S. funding have not led to a downturn in the number of abortions, reports The NY Times. In fact, some experts warn that banning funding from legitimate health providers could lead to an upsurge in illegal and unsafe abortions.
Right-wing Christian values -- especially espoused by Vice President Mike Pence -- are clearly the primary motivator in bringing back the Mexico City Policy, as there is no evidence to suggest that the decision will lessen instances of abortion in the countries where it is to take effect.
