How The U.S Presidential Elections Affects The Promotion Of Abortion Worldwide
With the upcoming Presidential Elections in the United States, it’s important to note the influence a Pro-Abortion or Pro-Life President would have on abortion in Africa. U.S Policies often resonate globally, particularly in developing countries that rely on the United States funding for their health services.
Changes in U.S. abortion policy directly affects funding for organizations that provide contraception and abortion services in Africa. This is because the U.S. is a major donor to global health initiatives, including “reproductive health services”, i.e. abortion.
When former U.S President Trump became President, he reinstated the Mexico City Policy, which led to significant cuts in funding for health organizations that provide abortion services in several African countries including Kenya.
The Mexico City Policy is an important U.S government policy that safeguards human life by preventing U.S Taxpayer funds from being used to support or promote abortion in foreign countries. It does this by prohibiting foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from receiving U.S federal funding if they perform, promote, or provide information about abortion services, even if these activities are funded by non-U.S sources.
Key aspects of this policy include:
- Protecting Life: The Mexico City Policy reflects a commitment to the belief that every life, from conception, is precious and deserving of protection. It ensures that U.S federal aid doesn’t contribute to the destruction of human life in the womb through abortion services overseas.
- Prohibiting Abortion Advocacy: Under this policy, foreign non-governmental organizations that receive U.S government funding for family planning and health services are prohibited from using any funds, including their own, to perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning. Promotion includes lobbying for the legalization or expansion of abortion access in their countries. This stops the U.S from inadvertently encouraging abortion practices worldwide.
- Support for Comprehensive Health Without Abortion: By withholding U.S funding from organizations involved in abortion-related activities, the Mexico City Policy is seen as a way of promoting life-affirming alternatives, such as prenatal care, natural family planning, and maternal health support. It discourages the normalization of abortion as a “healthcare service”, while focusing on preserving the life of both mother and child.
- Moral Responsibility of Tax Payers: The Policy is a way of upholding the moral responsibility of taxpayers. It prevents taxpayer dollars from being used to fund activities that many Americans would find morally objectionable. The United States Government should not be complicit in the funding of practices that end innocent human lives.
The Mexico City Policy has been reinstated and rescinded multiple times depending on the political party of the U.S President. Republican Presidents generally reinstate it while Democrat Presidents tend to rescind it. For example, President Bill Clinton rescinded the Policy in 1993 then President George W. Bush reinstated it back in 2001. President Barrack Obama rescinded it in 2009, then President Donald Trump reinstated and expanded its scope in 2017. President Biden rescinded it once more in 2021.
In summary, this Policy doesn’t force anything on developing countries. NGOs can choose whether to accept U.S funds, or provide abortions. It prevents the United States from using its taxpayer monies to impose abortion ideology around the world and its enforcement is dependent on who the current occupant of the White House is.
