US President Joe Biden has reversed a ban on federal funding for abortion counselling and referrals provided by international non-profit organisations, in a move he said was aimed at undoing “damage” done by his predeccesor Donald Trump.
In an executive order, Mr Biden repealed the so-called Mexico City Policy or ‘global gag rule’ on Thursday (local time), on the eve of the anti-abortion movement’s annual March for Life.
Mr Biden, who took office last week, also restored access to healthcare.gov, allowing Americans to sign up for insurance through the government exchange from 15 February to 15 May, the White House said. The program is normally accessible for just six weeks a year.
He also directed federal agencies to “re-examine” Trump-era policies like work requirements that made it more difficult for people to qualify for Medicaid, the government-run health insurance program for the poor.
The actions were the latest in a blizzard of moves by the new Democratic president to reverse the policies of the Republican Trump.
“Today I’m about to sign two executive orders – basically the best way to describe them – to undo the damage Trump has done,” Mr Biden said in the Oval Office.
Mr Biden has vowed to shore up programs created under former President Barack Obama’s sweeping 2010 Affordable Care Act, arguing that the changes are urgent because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed more than 430,000 Americans and thrown millions out of work.
What is the global abortion ‘gag rule’?
Revoking the Mexico City Policy is not a surprise: it is a political ping-pong ball that for years Republican presidents have enacted, and Democratic presidents have withdrawn.
But Mr Biden also ordered a review of rules under former president Mr Trump’s administration that blocked government-funded family planning clinics in the United States from referring women for abortions.
Abortion has been legal in the United States since a landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision, and Mr Biden has consistently supported that ruling, which guarantees a woman’s “right to choose”.
Mr Biden’s’ Democratic base largely supports abortion rights, but he is also a devout member of the Catholic Church which is firmly opposed to abortion.
Pressed last week on the new president’s abortion stance, particularly on legislation known as the Hyde amendment that would prevent federal funds from being used by Americans to pay for abortion, White House Spokeswoman Jen Psaki declined to answer directly.
“I will just take the opportunity to remind all of you that he is a devout Catholic and somebody who attends church regularly,” she told reporters.
‘Neo-colonial policy’
Politically, the issue cleaves a deep division among Americans, and Mr Biden alienating a portion of them could hamper his efforts to build broad-based support to advance other policies on the economy and the coronavirus pandemic.
Strongly supported by US anti-abortion groups, the 1984 Mexico City Policy takes aim at non-American non-governmental organizations involved in health and family planning support in developing countries and whose operations benefit from official US financial aid.
Within days of taking office in January 2017, Mr Trump outlawed the extension of US financing to such groups if they support, counsel or offer abortion.
Moreover, they could be banned from US aid if they themselves extend support to other NGOs which support abortion.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, that put restrictions on more than $7 billion in US aid last year, and potentially affected more than 1,000 foreign NGOs during the Trump ban.
Mr Biden took this step just one day before the annual March for Life by the anti-abortion movement.
The march usually brings tens of thousands to Washington but, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will be held mostly online this year.
“Funnelling US tax dollars to abortion groups overseas is an abhorrent practice that flies in the face of the ‘unity’ Joe Biden and (Vice President) Kamala Harris promised to inspire,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List.
But numerous women’s health advocates came out in support of Mr Biden’s move, and called on him to do more.
Serra Sippel, president of the Center for Health and Gender Equity, said they were “thrilled” that Mr Biden was to reverse what they called a cruel “neo-colonial policy”.
But she said Mr Biden needs to go farther, getting US embassies and agencies actively in support of the new policy.
“Global Health partners must be able to trust in US,” she said.
