Opinion Piece Calls On U.S. Policymakers To Repeal Mexico City Policy, Helms Amendment

Ms. Magazine: The Trump Administration Wants to Make the Global Gag Rule Even More Harmful
Lauren Cross, senior U.S. communications manager, and Zara Ahmed, senior policy manager on the public policy team, both at the Guttmacher Institute

“In the middle of a global pandemic, the Trump administration is trying to make it harder for people to get the sexual and reproductive health care they want and need. This week, the administration announced that it is proposing to expand the … ‘global gag rule’ even further than it already has. … The proposed expansion of the policy would, for the first time, cover all contracts that organizations have with the United States for global health work, not only grant funding. … [T]here are actions that policymakers can take to combat this harmful policy … First, Congress should pass the Global Health, Empowerment and Rights (Global HER) Act. This bill would reverse and permanently repeal the global gag rule. The legislation has 194 cosponsors in the House and 46 in the Senate, including two Republicans. Second, Congress should pass the Abortion Is Health Care Everywhere Act to repeal the 1973 Helms Amendment … It’s time to address the larger legislative architecture that prevents abortion from being included as part of a comprehensive package of U.S.-supported sexual and reproductive health services… ” (9/16).

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