The Freedom From Religion Foundation has submitted a formal public comment to the Federal Register condemning the Trump administration’s proposal to expand the global gag rule.
The rule, also known as the Mexico City Policy, denies U.S. funding in the form of grants and cooperative agreements to foreign nongovernmental organizations that provide abortion care or abortion counseling. The Trump administration seeks to expand this to include groups that receive aid through government contracts. Contracts make up about 40 percent of global health aid, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
“The global gag rule and the Trump administration’s proposed expansion is a gross display of Christian Nationalism’s international reach into reproductive rights,” comments Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president.
FFRF urges Congress to stand up for evidenced-based medicine and permanently repeal the global gag rule by passing the Global Health, Empowerment, and Rights Act (Global HER Act) and the Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act.
Read FFRF’s public comment here and submit your own comments until Friday, Nov. 13.