Administration expands policy keeping foreign assistance from funding abortion groups overseas

In a phone briefing this morning originating at the U.S. Department of State, an administration official outlined Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's new plan, effective today, that expands the "Mexico City policy" that Republican presidents have employed to keep our foreign assistance tax dollars from propping up abortion groups overseas.

The Trump administration's presidential memorandum of January 2017 built upon and expanded previous directive by Republican presidents George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. The Trump memorandum also directed the Secretary of State to develop an implementation plan.

That plan makes clear that the ban on funding related to certain abortion issues (details outlined in the timeline below) will now apply to any entity that receives US government foreign aid funding, including for programs such as HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, malaria, family planning and reproductive health. Select programs including, for example, programs involving humanitarian assistance or defense, are not affected by this policy.

The State Department official also explained the bottom line for the expansion of the Mexico City policy. Whereas in previous years the abortion-related funding ban impacted roughly $500-$600 million in foreign assistance funds, the Trump policy now will impact $8.8 billion.

"Mexico City Policy" timeline

1. 1984 - Reagan: At a population conference in Mexico City in 1984, the Reagan Administration announced that the United States would no longer contribute to nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) "which perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations."
2. 1993 - Clinton: rescinds.
3. 2001 – George W. Bush
1. reinstates "in full all of the requirements of the Mexico City Policy in effect on January 19, 1993" and stipulates "no funding re: "perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations."
2. applies to State Dept./USAID
4. 2009 – Obama rescinds.
5. 2017 – Trump

1. "reinstates the Presidential Memorandum of January 22, 2001";
2. directs Sec. State "to implement a plan to extend the requirements of the reinstated Memorandum to global health assistance furnished by all departments or agencies."
3. "further directs the Secretary of State to take all necessary actions, to the extent permitted by law, to ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars do not fund organizations or programs that support or participate in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization."