------------------------------------------
During his first week in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order known as the Mexico City Policy or the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance Act that revoked taxpayer funding to the International Planned Parenthood abortion business.
Today, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Trump Administration announced a new enforcement mechanism designed to expand this executive order to the broadest extent possible. Pompeo announced that the U.S. State Department will refuse to work with any foreign non-governmental organization (NGO) engaged in the abortion business. The State Department will also refuse to fund foreign NGOs that give money to other foreign NGOs engaged in the international abortion industry.
Here are Pompeo’s full remarks:
"Good morning, everyone. Today I’m making two announcements about the State Department’s ongoing efforts to ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars are not used to subsidize or promote abortions.
The first announcement concerns the so-called “Mexico City Policy.” This Reagan-era directive ensures U.S. taxpayer dollars aren’t used to support foreign nongovernmental organizations that perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning.
President Trump boldly expanded the Mexico City Policy in 2017. It now protects every human life impacted by the nearly $9 billion of foreign aid we spend on global health programs each year, and in turn protects more unborn babies around the world than ever before. This is decent; this is right. And I’m proud to serve in an administration that protects the least amongst us.
Now, two years into our administration, the vast majority of our implementing partners have agreed to comply with the policy, and they continue to work with us. This administration has shown that we can continue to meet our critical global health goals, including providing healthcare for women, while refusing to subsidize the killing of unborn babies.
As Secretary of State, I have directed our team to take all appropriate action to implement this policy to the broadest extent possible. Today I’m announcing further refinements to advance our efforts to protect the least amongst us.
As before, we will continue to refuse to provide assistance to foreign NGOs who perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning.
Now, as a result of my decision today, we are also making clear we will refuse to provide assistance to foreign NGOs that give financial support to other foreign groups in the global abortion industry. We will enforce a strict prohibition on backdoor funding schemes and end-runs around our policy. American taxpayer dollars will not be used to underwrite abortions.
This brings me to my second announcement. We are also fully enforcing federal law prohibiting the use of U.S. funds, including foreign assistance, to lobby for or against abortion, otherwise known as the Siljander Amendment.
In light of recent evidence of abortion-related advocacy by an organ of the Organization of American States, I directed my team to include a provision in foreign assistance agreements with the OAS that explicitly prohibits the use of funds to lobby for or against abortion. The institutions of the OAS should be focused on addressing crises in Cuba, Nicaragua, and in Venezuela, not on advancing the pro-abortion cause.
And to ensure that our message is heard loud and clear, we will reduce our contributions to the OAS. Our reduction equals the estimated U.S. share of possible OAS expenditures on these abortion-related activities.
The American people should rest assured that this administration – and this State Department, and our USAID – will do all we can to safeguard U.S. taxpayer dollars and protect and respect the sanctity of life for people all around the globe.
[italics and colored emphasis mine]
------------------------------------------
PRAYER MATTERS:
"To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world." - Karl Barth; "Prayer is inviting God into a seemingly impossible situation and trusting/resting in His love and grace to accomplish His perfect will in His perfect time and for His greatest glory. Intercession is the one of the great privileges AND responsibilities for EVERY believer." - Stan
This article describes Mike Pompeo's announcement that 1) the Mexico City policy will be enforced, that funds for NGOs (non-governmental organizations) that provide or promote abortions will be withdrawn, and 2) US funds will not be used to lobby for or against abortion.
ReplyDeleteI think these are the right policies and it's nice to know that they are being enforced. Not everyone agrees that abortion is for the common good and so funds for such things should come from a place other than the US govt - just my opinion though.
-herb