Leading pro-life organizations today are delighted that President Donald Trump signed an executive order reinstating the Mexico City policy.
The policy, which had been previously instituted by the Reagan Administration and the two Bush Administrations but overturned by Presidents Obama and Clinton, defunds organizations like International Planned Parenthood that promote perform abortions in other countries.
Here are selected comments from pro-life organizations and pro-life elected officials praising president Trump for his actions today:
Family Research Council President Tony Perkins applauded President Trump for acting swiftly to restore the Mexico City Policy:
“This is a vital step in the journey to make America great again, recognizing and affirming the universal ideal that all human beings have inherent worth and dignity, regardless of their age or nationality.
“I thank President Trump for issuing an executive order in keeping with his campaign promise that he will protect taxpayers from having to pay for abortions.
“According to a post-election survey, nearly 60 percent of Trump voters were impacted by the Republican Party’s strong pro-life, pro-religious liberty platform. This executive order aligns with the GOP platform which states that the Mexico City Policy should be restored. Funding foreign groups that promote or participate in abortion violates the principle that there should be a ‘wall of separation’ between taxpayer money and abortion.
“Family Research Council and the pro-life movement looks forward to continuing to work with the Trump administration in bringing about a culture of life in which every child is welcomed into this world and protected under our laws, both here and abroad,” concluded Perkins.
Congressman Chris Smith:
“By redirecting taxpayer dollars away from the international abortion industry, President Trump has re-instituted life-affirming protections for unborn children and their mothers,” said Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Co-Chairman of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. “There is political consensus that taxpayer dollars should not fund abortion and the abortion industry.”
The Mexico City policy simply requires that foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) agree, as a condition of their receipt of U.S. federal grant money, to neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning overseas. It does not impact the level of funding available; rather it sets a standard grantees must meet in order to be eligible for U.S. taxpayer funding. The Mexico City Policy was initially announced by President Reagan at a 1984 U.N. Population Conference in Mexico City, and was successfully implemented during the Bush 41 and Bush 43 Administrations.
“Without this protection in place, foreign NGOs receiving U.S. government funds promote and perform abortion throughout the world with the imprimatur of the United States,” said Smith who has championed the Mexico City Policy for more than three decades. “Organizations like Marie Stopes International and the International Planned Parenthood Federation have reported performing over 1 million abortions annually. Pro-abortion NGOs also set up additional projects overseas seeking to topple pro-life laws, imposing a new colonialism that fails to respect life-affirming cultures.”
U.S. Senator Ben Sasse issued the following statement regarding President Donald Trump’s reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy, preventing taxpayer dollars from funding abortion services abroad.
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“Americans are humanitarians and the Mexico City Policy reflects our heartfelt compassion for both moms and babies. Nebraskans, including many families who donate to charities that heal and comfort around the world, shouldn’t be forced to export abortions with their tax dollars. We want to support Good Samaritans, not global abortion providers.”
Wisconsin Right to Life:
“Wisconsin Right to Life is extremely happy to hear that today, President Donald Trump signed an order to reinstate the lifesaving Mexico City Policy, which prevents taxpayer funds from going to organizations that promote abortion overseas,” stated Heather Weininger, Executive Director of Wisconsin Right to Life. “This order defunds Planned Parenthood and other groups’ international efforts to promote their radical abortion agenda. No taxpayer dollar should ever be used for abortion advocacy, ever,” continued Weininger. “We thank President Trump for reinstating this lifesaving policy, and look forward to the day that he can sign legislation that will completely deny Planned Parenthood access to a single taxpayer dime.”
Students for Life of America president Kristan Hawkins issued the following statement:
“This is a great start to the Trump presidency and we hope this is only the beginning of defunding Planned Parenthood and the end of forcing American taxpayers to fund an industry that ends hundreds of thousands of innocent lives a year and irreparably harms women. This is a new day for all Americans, and we are excited about reversing Planned Parenthood’s hold on Washington.”
Right to Life of Michigan commends President Trump for reinstating a policy that ends taxpayer dollars going to groups that provide and promote abortion overseas. Commonly called the Mexico City Policy, the rule was first instituted through executive order by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. The order has been rescinded and reinstated by pro-abortion and pro-life presidents since then.
Right to Life of Michigan Barbara Listing said, “We’re excited for President Trump to begin to fulfill his campaign promises to protect unborn children and our conscience rights. We’re looking forward to many more opportunities in the near future.”
The policy directs the United States Agency for International Development to withhold any funding from non-governmental organizations that perform abortions, promote abortion or lobby foreign governments to pass pro-abortion legislation.
Listing said, “Abortion shouldn’t be an American export.”
Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Steven H. Aden:
“American taxpayer dollars have many good uses, but paying for elective abortions overseas is not and never has been one of them. The president has done the right and logical thing in reinstating a policy that never should have been rescinded. The International Planned Parenthood Federation and other groups that promote abortions outside of the U.S. shouldn’t be allowed to profit from taking lives with American money anywhere, especially in light of their documented abuse of taxpayer dollars.”
