WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Monday in response to President Trump's decision to reinstate the Global Gag Rule, also known as the Mexico City policy. The Global Gag Rule disqualifies foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from eligibility for U.S. family planning assistance if they use non-U.S. funds to provide abortion services, counseling or referrals, or to engage in advocacy within their own countries to liberalize abortion-related policies. Yesterday also marked the 44th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade:
“President Trump's decision to use women's health and access to family planning as a political football is extremely disappointing, but sadly not unexpected. What President Trump fails to realize is that access to family planning services is one of the best tools we have to prevent abortions. When enforced, the Global Gag Rule has closed the doors on some of the most effective, lifesaving family planning programs in developing countries. By reinstating the Global Gag Rule, President Trump is denying millions of women access to much needed family planning services, endangering their lives and the lives of their children. Congress must work to end this dangerous policy once and for all, and I stand ready to support those efforts.”
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