Richard Lord

January marks the one-year anniversary of action by President Obama to end the Bush Administration’s Global Gag Rule.  Although reversal of the Gag Rule was a positive departure from previous policy, the U.S. government remains an outlier among other developed countries in its abortion funding policies both domestically and internationally. Current consideration of stringent amendments against abortion as part of the health-care reform effort in the United States, combined with existing abortion restrictions on U.S. foreign aid, have negative consequences beyond U.S. borders — discouraging needed reforms in other countries and threatening the health of millions of women around the world.

The Global Gag Rule, also known as the Mexico City Policy, blocked U.S. funding for any foreign private organizations that provided abortion services or counseling, referrals or information on abortion, even if those services were legal in the recipient country and were financed by other means.  As a policy initially introduced by President Reagan, rescinded by President Clinton, reinstated by President Bush, and again rescinded last year by President Obama, the Global Gag Rule created major disruptions for private health-care organizations that had to limit their programs and services in order to fulfill conditions on U.S. funding or forego such funding completely. Ipas documented the harm the Global Gag Rule caused around the world, preventing health-care clinics dependent on U.S. aid from providing legal safe abortion services or even from providing counseling and referrals.  With funds withdrawn from some family planning clinics, contraception was also even harder to access for many women in need.

Despite the repeal of the Global Gag Rule, other restrictions remain in place that limit what both private organizations and governments can do with U.S. aid funds, most importantly, the Helms Amendment.  Passed in 1973, the Helms Amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act bars U.S. funds from being used to pay for the performance of abortion “as a method of family planning” or to “motivate or coerce any person to practice abortions.”

New legislation could bring a permanent end to both of these policies that violate women’s human rights.  Last year, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) introduced, and the Senate Appropriations Committee overwhelmingly adopted, an amendment during mark-up of the Senate State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill that would bar the re-imposition of the Global Gag Rule by future anti-choice administrations. Unfortunately, conferees dropped the amendment from the omnibus package, despite vigorous efforts by women’s health advocates.  Given the polarized debate around the Stupak-Pitts Amendment to the domestic health-care reform bill, and its Senate counterpart, the Nelson-Hatch Amendment, Appropriations staff calculated that the chances to permanently bar the Gag Rule were low. Stripped of the Gag Rule language, the appropriations bill passed and was signed by President Obama in December.

Advocates for women’s health and abortion rights continue to work toward the permanent end of the Global Gag Rule and to build consensus to overturn the Helms Amendment. These actions by Congress would enable the United States to fully exercise leadership in advancing global reproductive health.

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