Donald Trump just reinstated global abortion funding ban
Donald Trump has been US President less than a week and he has already revived the Mexico City Policy – a ban on foreign aid to groups that provide abortions.
The law, which originated in the Reagan era, was revoked by Barack Obama, but Trump has decide to reinstate it. The policy will stop US funding to NGOs in poor countries if they offer abortions or related counseling or care, reports the Guardian.
During Obama's presidency, US law prevented direct fundings for abortion services, but NGOs that performed the procedure were entitled to funding for related programmes, such as contraception access and post-abortion care.
Trump made his anti-abortion stance very clear during the campaign trail, infamously stating that women who undergo the procedure should be punished – a comment his party later retracted.
"he wants to stand up for all Americans, including the unborn, and I think the reinstatement of this policy is not just something that echoes that value but respects taxpayer funding as well," said Sean Spicer, the White House spokesman.
The consequences of the act are thought to be grave, with some NGOs arguing that restricting funding will increase the risk of illegal, unsafe abortions.
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