Post submitted by Jordan Dashow, former Federal Policy Manager

Yesterday, on the day after the 44^th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, President Donald Trump issued an executive order reinstating the global gag rule. The global gag rule, also known as the Mexico City policy, prevents federal funding to foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that use their own non-U.S. funds to provide abortion information, referrals or services.

The rule was first put in place by President Ronald Reagan and has been rescinded by Democratic presidents only to be reinstated by Republican presidents. The global gag rule has impeded the efforts of health providers to speak freely in counseling their patients and to address the family planning needs of women throughout the world. 

Earlier this year, HRC joined 137 other organizations in a coalition statement opposing the global gag rule. The statement illustrated the many consequences of the global gag rule, stating that “when in place, the negative impacts of the global gag rule have been broad and severe: health services have been dismantled in a number of communities; clinics that provided a range of reproductive, maternal, and child health care, including HIV testing and counseling, were forced to close; outreach efforts to hard to reach populations were eliminated; and access to contraceptives was severely limited, resulting in more unintended pregnancies and more unsafe abortions.“

HRC strongly opposes the global gag rule and is deeply concerned about the negative impact this will have on families throughout the world.