Obama Overturns 'Mexico City Policy' Implemented by Reagan

[maddezmom]

Source: ABC

Obama Overturns 'Mexico City Policy' Implemented by Reagan
U.S. Can Now Give Federal Funding To International Family Planning Groups That Provide Abortion Services
By JAKE TAPPER, SUNLEN MILLER and HUMA KHAN
President Obama signed an executive order today reversing the ban that prohibits funding to international family planning groups that provide abortions, as first reported by ABC News.

Under the hotly debated "Mexico City Policy," the U.S. government cannot provide funding for family planning services to clinics or groups that offer abortion-related services overseas, even if funding for those activities comes from non-government sources. It essentially bars recipients of U.S. foreign aid from promoting abortion as a method of family planning.

If organizations received government funding, they would "agree as a condition of their receipt of federal funds that such organizations would neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations."



Read more: http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/International/story?...

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[sutz12]

1. A ray of sunshine...

Wow, this guy is really getting to work.

[redqueen]

11. I doubt anyone who read up on him expected any less.

[lifesgreat]

31. What's the cost to fund this?

I thought we were going to spend less this year, not fund more things that aren't needed.

[Acadia Blue]

34. This is needed. More unwanted pregnancies equal more poverty

and more stress on world recources. Plus its GD cruel to force people who are poor to have children they can't feed and clothe. Oh but the rich don't quite feel other's pain and greed is more important than humans.

[ima_sinnic]

37. you got yours, eh? so screw the rest of the world

"aren't needed"? better take a long look inside yourself before you pronounce yourself fit to decree what is and is not needed by others than yourself.

[eomer]

39. I don't believe there is any cost to this.

It wouldn't create any new programs or increase funding of any existing ones.

Rather, it would remove restrictions on what organizations can say and do -- with the existing money they are already receiving. It would increase the efficacy of the money that we are already spending.

I agree with the other responses, however, that increasing funding for these programs would be a good thing and would add that it would probably actually save money. Empowering women to control their reproduction will very quickly result in less need to provide food, healthcare, education, and so on for unplanned children whose parents and communities were in no position to care for them.

_{Edit: improve unartful wording}

[robinlynne]

41. It does not mean an increase. It means that the money now going to church groups around

the world can actually go to health clinics instead, for example. It is not about how much is spent at all.

[cliffordu]

44. Enjoy your stay!!!!

idjit.

[bluestateguy]

2. This is why the Rick Warren invitation will soon become irrelevant

Because as much as I disapprove of that move, policies matter far more than who says an Inauguration prayer.

With this EO and Obama's imminent signing of the Lily Ledbetter Pay Act, he has shown that he prioritizes gender equality.

Now we just need to get the Congress to pass the ENDA.

[hunter]

18. I'm sorry Mr. Warren, your visitors pass has expired.

Would you like someone to escort you to your car?

[AlbertCat]

20. policies matter far more than who says an Inauguration prayer

Especially one as lame, forgettable, and common as Warren's. Let's compare it to, oh say, the Lowery benediction....






Personally, they should leave all this hocus pocus in the church, where it belongs.

[wryter2000]

3. Back to the fainting couch for me

Swoon! My second today. This is better than Christmas.

[skeewee08]

13. OK wryter2000 I am going to start a thread on a new couch for you:-)

[wryter2000]

17. Thanks

Pass the smelling salts.

[Ian David]

4. Ronald Reagan must be spinning in his grave. He can do that, because he's much thinner now. n/t

[laconicsax]

9. He's probably been spinning since the election.

[santamargarita]

5. Love it, Mr. President...

...getting rid of all that Reagan crap too.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

10. This is really Bush crap. Reagan implemented it, but Clinton ended it. Bush re implemented it.

[Sirveri]

36. Yep, he restarted this garbage on the aniversary of roe too.

[pleah]

6. K&R

[Rebubula]

7. Good Move

Looking forward to more Bush-bullshit being overturned

[Judi Lynn]

8. One great step at a time. This is really important. It's about time, isn't it? n/t

[DesertFlower]

12. hannity and o'reilly are going to

have strokes.

[RC]

23. Different strokes for those two folks?

[kenny blankenship]

14. Reaching Out - to the correct side !

The gag rule made foreign aid dispensed for public health matters like AIDS prevention & BC into a private preserve for religious organizations - a Full Employment Act for wingnut church missionaries.

Reversing Reagan's gag rule, and reversing himself, by firing Bush's AIDS czar yesterday who oversaw this and other fucked up policies, Obama has shown that he is listening to secular women's health groups and AIDS activists (those terrible terrible left wing elements who're sooo out of the mainstream and antagonistic to the believing majority of America!)

The RW churches captured this policy area and made it their exclusive dining club where govt. pork could be made kosher for their consumption alone. But their programs are often counterproductive, and especially injurious to women, and they've been using their access to proselytize abroad on the taxpayer's dime.
Escalating demands under the Bush Administration drove some recipient countries to the brink of rejecting US AIDS prevention assistance. Three years ago, Brazil told us to fuck off and keep our money as fundy churches added on a demand that Brazil pair prostitution suppression with condom distribution. You can't distribute condoms to a prostitute that runs from your van because she fears you're going to haul her to jail. You won't be distributing many condoms to prostitutes if they have to listen to a 10 minute spiel about the evils of their "lifestyle" every time before they get the rubbers. Brazil had had enough of being told to waste money on "abstinence education" and viewed new conditions and demands placed on them as steadily upward ratcheting of greater and greater pressure on their morals that would be doing less and less in actual AIDS prevention. They stood up and showed us the door. That's an example of how religious capture of AIDS prevention leads to dysfunction and to the opposite of the desired result. Many more could be listed.

To stay true to his word to drop what doesn't work and embrace the functional, President Obama has had to wrest this policy area out of the control of fundy churches and embrace the "reality based" community. No doubt they are grinding their teeth today in Fundy land!
They will still get money, but not ALL the money. And they will no longer:

Be able to lean on recipient countries to cut their budgets for birth control programs.
Force recipient countries to blow millions of dollars on "abstinence education".
Cut out the reality based community from access to US funds to deliver AIDS prevention assistance.
Use US taxpayer money as a full employment guarantor for their recruiting missionaries.

Praise to President Obama for reaching out - to the correct side!

[prostock69]

15. Love your license plate! I'm from Ohio too. :) n/t

[prostock69]

16. Yeah! Another one bites the dust. n/t

[Still Sensible]

19. Gotta love the way our new Prez is

methodically dismantling the low hanging fruit so far... gives us hope as he tackles the higher stuff.

[Jambalaya]

21. Rockefeller Foundation Population Control

I don't know if any here are familiar wih the role of Genetically Modified Seeds and the hold that Monsanto and Cargill to name a couple are having on the worldwide population-not only in the ability to feed one self,but by actually rendering women infertile.
There is a superb bock entitled "Seeds of Destruction: The Hidden Agenda of Genetic Manipulation",by William F. Engdahl. This is an intensely researched book and one EVERYONE should read and/or at least hhave a rudimentary familiarity with.
The website Global Researc.ca has extensively archived material on BioEngineering and GMO ,among many other topics. Terrific site.

Many women in Latin American countries ARE being rendered infertile, unawares and involuntarily from these Genetically Modified seeds that are designed to produce only one crop. Not only will the seed not reproduce again after the first crop, ,neither do the women.
Below is an excerpt from a reviewer of the book "Seed of Destruction" by Wm.Engdahl:


"Whatever your feelings on overpopulation, the schemes he lays out, developed by the Rockefeller foundation, are truly disturbing. Especially so are the contraceptive corn and incorporation of hCG into a tetanus vaccine(resulting in sterility) given out in enormous numbers to women of childbearing age in Mexico, Phillipines and Nicaragua.... "

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ichingcarpenter]

24. Alan Keyes..... you know that guy Obama ran against?.... wrote the bill for Reagan.

Let them chew on that biscuit.


"The policy was drafted by Pro-life champion Alan Keyes when he served the Reagan administration. It was instituted in 1984. The Policy made it clear that any non-governmental entities requesting foreign aid from the United States would not use those funds to provide for, refer or promote abortions. It was intended to prevent the United States from exporting abortion on demand around the world. "
http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=31774

[Confusious]

25. As much as I like the things Obama's done so far

Who gave the president these executive order powers? I don't remember it being in the constitution. I don't remember ( because it doesn't exist ) giving the president power over purse strings: that is congresses power.

The constitution gives congress the power to ratify treaties. I don't remember it being in the constitution that a president can pull us out of one if he gets a stick up his ass. I know thats gw, and he didn't give a rats ass, but I'm tired of this. Seems like the presidents these days ( these days being the past 30 years or so ) are ruling by executive fiat.

All executive orders should be voted on by congress, except those dealing directly with the administration, in the white house.

If that happened, then this gag rule never would have come into place in the first place. I don't think it was legal ( Purse string power ) at all.

I also say this, because some repug is going to come in, and reverse everything back again some day.

[Ichingcarpenter]

27. This was an executive order written by Alan Keyes for Reagan

so he just overturned it.

[Confusious]

30. I realize that

I'm just a little wary ( A whole hell of a lot more under bush! ) of these executive orders. I didn't like them under any President. Seems to me rule by overlord, at least a smart and benevolent one this time.

[Selatius]

48. Executive Orders were given to the president under the current Constitution.

The arguments at the time were as a final check on possible judicial abuses, such as somebody being wrongfully convicted.

The power of executive orders only applies to executive branch departments under the purview of the White House. For instance, any department under the executive branch (like USAID) would have to obey Obama's new orders, but private NGOs would not be compelled to do the same, unless they are under federal contract to perform executive branch functions. Affirmative Action is the result of one executive order.

[Optical.Catalyst]

26. Reason returns to Government

[Jefferson23]

28. Obama is awesome, what a week this has been.

[donheld]

29. About time

[defendandprotect]

32. Wait . . . why didn't Clinton overturn this . . . and didn't Bush overturn abortion policy

that Clinton put in place --- ????

He sure overturned the surplus!!!

and peace -- that's for sure!!

But . . . thanks, Obama!!

[Blasphemer]

33. He did and then Bush re-instated it... nt

[defendandprotect]

35. Thanks -- OK, so they just skipped the Bush part . . .

[Lasher]

38. There's a big difference between Democrats and Republicans.

Here is one shining example. What a breath of fresh air.

[lala_rawraw]

40. wow... he has been in office for five mine...

and he managed to already accomplish more than Bush could for a full year...seriously, wow

[mitchum]

42. More reason to prefer the "Cool Cat"

[FloridaJudy]

43. !

[lonestarnot]

45. Ha cha cha cha!

[tom_paine]

46. Error: You can only recommend threads within the first 24 hours.

KICKED!

[kenichol]

47. Giving women the power to make choices is so right!

I am proud of this moment.

[KakistocracyHater]

49. I admit, I was like Monk, unable to believe

something that wasn't horrendous as being true. I am relieved & frankly !!SHOCKED!!

After Conyers pretty words & Pelosi's too......I am stunned that FINALLY something TRULY good is taking place. That actions are realized, truly, I am so shell-shocked that I still double-check the articles, go to more than 1 source.


No words....I'm almost afraid that acknowledging his actions will nightmarishly cause them to be undone. Does anyone else feel like I do?

[muriel_volestrangler]

50. Vatican official accuses Obama of 'arrogance'

A senior Vatican official on Saturday attacked US President Barack Obama for "arrogance" for overturning a ban on state funding for family-planning groups that carry out or facilitate abortions overseas.

It is "the arrogance of someone who believes they are right, in signing a decree which will open the door to abortion and thus to the destruction of human life," Archbishop Rino Fisichella was quoted as saying by the Corriere della Sera daily.

Fisichella is president of the Pontifical Academy for Life, one of a number of so-called pontifical academies which are formed by or under the direction of the Holy See.
...
"I do not believe that those who voted for him took into consideration ethical themes, which were astutely left aside during the election debate. The majority of the American population does not take the same position as the president and his team," he added.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Vatican+official+accu...

Fisichella is, of course, lying in that last past - a clear majority of Americans thinks abortion should be available in some form. And to accuse Obama voters of not taking into account 'ethical themes' seems very insulting to them; they can think the ethics of Obama good, and indeed, better than McCain's. I'll return the insult, and say Fisichella is an arrogant, mendacious, intolerant wanker.

[SlowDownFast]

51. utopiansecretagent to senior Vatican official:

MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS (LIKE YOUR PEDOPHILE PRIESTS?) AND STAY THE FUCK OUT OF MY GOVERNMENT!