Trump Administration renews block on US worldwide funding of health clinics that provide abortion related services.

The entering President signed 3 executive orders in the early hours of his administration. One such order was the so called “Mexico City Policy,” a name that refers to the policy first introduced by President Ronald Reagan. Since 1984, the rule has been retained by the first Bush administration, revoked by the Clinton administration, and reinstated by the second Bush administration, before being revoked by the Obama administration in 2009.

The rule forces NGOs to neither perform, nor promote, abortions as a method for family planning in developing nations where the US provides medical aid funding. If an organization advocates or provides the service in any shape or form, even if conducted with non-U.S. funds, it is not to receive US funding.

The rule works in conjunction with the Helms Amendment, passed in 1973, that prohibits US foreign aid from being used to provide abortions, or to persuade women to get abortions, as a method of family planning.

In a statement House Speaker Paul Ryan said that “President Trump is wasting no time acting on his promises. We look forward to working with the president to build on these actions and deliver results for the people.”

The US is the only country to impose such rule on worldwide aid funding.

In response the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws tweeted a statement that included reference to a 2011 Stanford University study finding that after reinstatement of the rule by the Bush Administration in 2001, “abortion rates rose by 2.5 times in countries that were most reliant on U.S. foreign assistance as compared to countries with lower levels of U.S. involvement in their health programs.”

GOP says they want 2 curb abortion. But #GlobalGagRule cuts $ to health centers providing family-planning services, which ↓ abortion rates. pic.twitter.com/4Nz8xcO04P

— NARAL (@NARAL) January 23, 2017

Planned Parenthood also took to twitter, stating that “The #TrumpGlobalGag rule will cause clinic closures around the world, resulting in more unintended pregnancy & unsafe abortion, not less.”

The #TrumpGlobalGag rule will cause clinic closures around the world, resulting in more unintended pregnancy & unsafe abortion, not less.

— Planned Parenthood (@PPact) January 23, 2017