When President Trump took office, he began acting on his commitment to a pro-life America immediately, reinstating the Mexico City Policy that pulled U.S. funding from the business profits of the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
Now Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced a plan to expand that ban on U.S. funding to other foreign abortion providers.
It’s a good move, said the leaders of March for Life.
Jeanne Mancini, the president of the group, said the organization “is grateful to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for his announcement today that the department will more fully implement the Protecting Life in Global Health Policy.”
“Taxpayer dollars should not fund abortion here or abroad, and respecting the inherent dignity of the unborn person goes hand in glove with our country’s foreign assistance and humanitarian work,” she said. “The secretary’s courageous leadership on the implementation of this policy will assure its proper oversight and help advance the protection and empowerment of human persons at all stages in our international global health assistance initiatives.”
The Mexico City Policy effectively prohibits using U.S. taxpayer monies for abortion businesses overseas.
Instead, U.S. funds are directed to health care and humanitarian relief.
The State Department is broadening its policy by cutting off work with foreign non-governmental organizations engaged in the abortion industry.
The U.S. will also stop funding foreign NGOs that give money to other foreign NGOs engaged in the international abortion industry.
The Hill reported the move closes a loophole that let NGOs that get American funds to forward it to other organizations that are involved in abortions.
“This is decent, this is right and I’m proud to serve in an administration that protects the least amongst us,” Pompeo said. “This administration has shown that we can continue to meet our critical global health goals, including providing health care for women, while refusing to subsidize the killing of unborn babies.”
The policy, created by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, has been enforced mostly by Republican presidents. Democratic presidents usually have suspended it during their terms in office.
Qualifying for U.S. support means groups must certify that they won’t perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning, even with funds from other non-U.S. sources.
“By ensuring enforcement and compliance with existing pro-life policies, Secretary of State Pompeo and the Trump Administration reaffirm their commitment to protecting innocent human life at home and abroad,” said Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, in a LifeNews.com report.
“We applaud Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for his dedicated pro-life leadership and for his efforts to ensure that taxpayer dollars are not used to fund or promote abortion overseas.”
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins said the abortion industry “is well known for relentlessly pursuing taxpayer dollars – and will exploit any opportunity to grab US taxpayer funds.”
“Thankfully, President Trump and Secretary Pompeo are just as relentless in working to ensure taxpayers aren’t forced into a partnership with the abortion industry overseas,” he said.
Perkins praised the Trump administration for working “to build a wall between taxpayers and international abortion-on-demand.”
“This president has gone beyond stopping the pro-abortion policies of Barack Obama,” he said. “He is restoring and even expanding the pro-life policies of Ronald Reagan.”
