Trump bans funding for groups that aid abortion overseas, will enforce Hyde Amendment
CBSJan 22
Trump Reinstates 'Mexico City Policy' Ban on Funding for Overseas Abortions
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Above: US Pres. Donald Trump signs an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on Jan. 23, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Image copyright: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The Facts
US Pres. Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Friday reinstating the so-called Mexico City Policy, which blocks federal funding to international non-governmental organizations that provide or actively promote abortion services overseas.
First announced by the Reagan admin. in 1984, the measure is known among its critics as the "Global Gag Rule." Trump reinstated it in his first term, expanding the policy to apply to most of US bilateral global health assistance, but Joe Biden rescinded it in his first days as president.
Trump also signed executive orders enforcing the Hyde Amendment, which bans federal funding for domestic abortions, and revoking two Biden-era orders that expanded access to abortion.
The Spin
Conservative narrative
Given that neither Biden, nor any other Democratic president was able to overturn the Hyde Amendment in nearly five decades, there's clearly a consensus in America that taxpayer dollars must not fund elective abortions. It's in that spirit that Trump has reinstated the Mexico City Policy. It was shameful that federal funds were used to pay for abortions abroad.
Progressive narrative
The reinstated global gag rule will have devastating effects on global healthcare access, likely leading to an increase in abortion rates and major complications stemming from reduced access to contraceptive services, particularly in developing nations. On top of that, the policy may cut funds from groups focused on the treatment and prevention of AIDS and diseases like malaria.
