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.