President Donald Trump has signed an executive order officially pulling taxpayer funding for abortions overseas, reversing former President Obama's gutting of what is known as the Mexico City Policy.
UPDATE: Trump signs executive order to ban U.S. non-governmental organizations with federal funding from providing abortions abroad
— Reuters Politics (@ReutersPolitics) January 23, 2017
Some background on the policy from LifeNews:
When pro-abortion former President Barack Obama took office, Obama overturned a policy that prevented funding of groups that promote or perform abortions overseas. The Mexico City Policy covered over $400 million in federal funds, part of which flowed to the abortion businesses International Planned Parenthood and Marie Stopes International for their foreign efforts.
As LifeNews.com reported, the pro-life policy had been in place during the entirety of the Bush administration and Obama rescinded it on his first week in office. Named for a 1984 population conference where President Reagan initially announced it, the Mexico City Policy made it so family planning funds could only go to groups that would agree to not do abortions or lobby foreign nations to overturn their pro-life laws.
During Obama's tenure American tax dollars flowed to overseas abortion groups, including arms of Planned Parenthood, for abortion.
Domestic taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood must be rescinded through Congress. On the campaign trail, Trump expressed approval of taxpayer funding of the abortion giant so long as the money wasn't specifically used for the procedure.
Pro-life groups and lawmakers are already praising the move.
“President Trump is continuing Ronald Reagan’s legacy by taking immediate action on day one to stop the promotion of abortion through our tax dollars overseas," Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser released in a statement. “President Trump’s immediate action to promote respect for all human life, including vulnerable unborn children abroad, as well as conscience rights, sends a strong signal about his Administration’s pro-life priorities.”
“The United States stands as an example for the world, and as that example we should not allow taxpayer dollars to be used in the funding of abortion whether within our borders or outside,” Republican Senator Steve Daines echoed. “I’m encouraged that in the first days of President Trump’s presidency he is protecting taxpayers and rights of conscience.”
Later this week, hundreds of thousands of pro-life protestors will attend the March for Life in Washington D.C.
This post has been updated with additional information.
