In one of his first executive orders as U.S. president, Donald Trump has reinstated the “Global Gag Rule,” a policy that blocks federal funding to international nongovernmental organizations that provide abortions, services or information about them.
The measure, signed Monday, doesn’t come as much of a surprise to many observers, as the rule was first instituted by former President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s and has been subject to the turnover of new administrations. George W. Bush quickly reinstated the policy in his early days in office, only to have Barack Obama rescind the order, also known as the Mexico City Policy, shortly after he took office in January 2009.
This order would restrict any U.S. aid to foreign organizations that receive outside funding for work on abortion counseling, referrals, or services. The Obama administration already upheld restrictions on funding organizations that provide abortions, except in extreme cases, such as rape. And the U.S. has not funded international abortions since 1970s, following the adoption of the Helms amendment.
About the authors
Adva Saldinger@AdvaSal
Adva Saldinger is a Senior Reporter at Devex where she covers development finance, as well as U.S. foreign aid policy. Adva explores the role the private sector and private capital play in development and authors the weekly Devex Invested newsletter bringing the latest news on the role of business and finance in addressing global challenges. A journalist with more than 10 years of experience, she has worked at several newspapers in the U.S. and lived in both Ghana and South Africa.
Amy Liebermanamylieberman
Amy Lieberman is the U.N. Correspondent for Devex. She covers the United Nations and reports on global development and politics. Amy previously worked as a freelance reporter, covering the environment, human rights, immigration, and health across the U.S. and in more than 10 countries, including Colombia, Mexico, Nepal, and Cambodia. Her coverage has appeared in the Guardian, the Atlantic, Slate, and the Los Angeles Times. A native New Yorker, Amy received her master’s degree in politics and government from Columbia’s School of Journalism.
