Friday, January 23, 2009

Why Reverse "Mexico City"?/ UPDATE

I am having trouble finding the reason Obama, or Clinton for that matter, overturned the "Mexico City" policy. The Moral Accountability blog explains what the policy is:
The Mexico City Policy (called by pro-abortion activists and the national press the “Global Gag Rule”) conditions any receipt of funds from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by overseas non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on their agreement neither to perform nor to “actively promote” abortion as a means of family planning. The policy was instituted by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 at the United Nations International Conference on Population in Mexico City. The policy was subsequently rescinded by President Bill Clinton on January 22, 1993, only to be reinstituted by President George W. Bush on January 22, 2001. The intent of the Mexico City Policy is to close loopholes that allow USAID money to fund abortion indirectly, circumventing standing law that prohibits direct funding—in particular the Helms Amendment, an appropriations rider. Without the Mexico City Policy it would still be illegal for recipients of USAID funding to use such aid in the performance of abortion, but aid would defray the non-abortion costs of abortion providers, freeing those funds for the performance of abortion. Furthermore, abortion providers in the developing world (like the International Planned Parenthood Federation and Mary Stopes International) have a storied history of using their Western funding to promote the legalization or liberalization of abortion laws. By restricting the funding of such groups, the Mexico City Policy is invaluable in protecting the profound and inherent dignity of human life and rule of law in the developing world.
So I get why this is a good policy. But why reverse it? I have been scouring the internet looking for the reason for reversal. Anyone out there know?

UPDATE:

Ok. This is not from the Obama camp, but it'll do:
"Women's health has been severely impacted by the cutoff of assistance. President Obama's actions will help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, abortions and women dying from high-risk pregnancies because they don't have access to family planning," said Tod Preston, a spokesman for Population Action International, an advocacy group.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2009/01/is-repealing-the-anti-abortion.html