Trump’s America Takes 10 Steps Back, Reinstates Global Gag Rule

Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics for Choice, issued a statement today decrying the reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule by President Donald J. Trump.

“Today’s decision reinstating the Mexico City Policy, or the Global Gag Rule as it is better known, is a huge step backwards for the United States as a responsible global leader, and for the health and welfare of millions of the world’s poorest women.

“The Global Gag Rule represents an unconscionable attack on free speech and the rights of women to have access to information about reproductive health and abortion services. It could not be successfully imposed in the United States, where citizens enjoy the right to free speech.

“That President Trump would reinstate such a draconian anti-free speech, anti-freedom measure and impose it upon citizens in other countries is a tragedy of global importance. The Global Gag Rule will have a severe impact in the Global South and some of the poorest countries in the world by gutting practical, life-saving programs and curtailing the effectiveness of global health services.

“Significantly, the policy will do nothing to improve the health and welfare of the world’s poorest women. Instead, it indicates that the Trump presidency is not on the side of American values and freedom of speech but only sees reproductive health issues as an easy throw-away to the more extreme elements that backed his presidential campaign.

“We react also as Catholics who know that social justice will be greatly undermined by this cynical move: It is the poor who will suffer and die, and be denied services as a result of President Trump reinstating this anti-American and anti-freedom measure.”

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