The Gag Rule is Ready to Fall

Barack Obama is expected to change the restrictive policy of the U.S. towards abortion and prevention when it comes to American aid.

While Barack Obama is met with justified skepticism amongst Palestinians, Afghans, and Iraqis, there are great expectations for his presidency amongst organizations who are working for health rights with regards to pregnancy and birth (reproductive rights).

The election means that the U.S. will once again be a part of the global consensus in the work for sexual and reproductive rights, says Director-General Gill Greer at the head office of the world’s largest voluntary organization for family planning, International Planned Parenthood Foundation (IPPF), in London.

Greer reminds us that the U.S. played a leading role in the field under Bill Clinton, and that it was reversed when George W. Bush reinstated the so-called Global Gag Rule in 2001 (Mexico City Policy, originally introduced by the Reagan administration in 1984).

The “Gag Rule” means that it is illegal to give American aid funds to organizations who perform, inform, or refer people to have abortions. This impacts all aspects of the work organizations do, including normal health clinic work.

The Gag Rule had a terrible effect in developing countries and had dramatic consequences for the IPPF member organizations and many other organizations capable of giving necessary aid, Greer says.

As a consequence of cuts in American aid, the IPPF had to close at least six clinics in Kenya, and in Ghana they had to stop a major project for local health services.

IPPF is also in despair over the Bush administration’s emphasis of sobriety and monogamy in the work against AIDS, instead of promoting the use of condoms.

If the Gag Rule is revoked and means of prevention financed by USAID is made available, the immediate effect will be that thousands of women will once again have access to the services and prevention they badly need. Increased access to prevention will also dramatically and directly reduce the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions, and will therefore save women’s and mothers’ lives, Greer says.

IPPF estimates that around 70,000 women die each year from unsafe abortions.

The IPPF has received clear signals from Barack Obamas advisers of a fast change in policy towards abortion and prevention.

Both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush used the first day in office for the important symbolic task of changing the Global Gag Rule. Obama is expected to do the same.

On Sunday, The Washington Post wrote that Obama’s advisers have already made a list of around 200 decisions from the Bush era that can be changed quickly, and the Gag Rule is on the list.

In addition to reproductive rights, topics range from stem cell research to climate policy.

When Barack Obama starts the reversal of the Bush administration’s abortion policy, he will have more supporters in congress than at present.

The organization NARAL Pro-Choice America has made an estimate of the newly elected and departing members of congress’ attitudes towards abortion.

In the departing Congress, 268 members are pro-life, 200 are pro-choice, and 67 are so-called “mixed choice,” voting both ways. During the last election pro-choice members gained 21 seats, while pro-life lost just as many.

Percentage-wise, pro-choice members of congress increased from 37 to 41 percent, while anti-abortion members went from 50 to 46 percent. “Mixed choice” remained at 13 percent. Despite the progress, this means that pro-choice members have to have support from the group of “mixed choice” to pass bills through Congress.

NARAL underlines that the numbers are estimates and not final. There are still three undecided seats in the Senate. In these numbers NARAL has also included Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden, who will be replaced when they take office as president and vice president. Two representatives are also up for election on the 6th of December.

The Democrats have traditionally been the party for liberal abortion rights, while the Republicans have been the pro-life party. [The fact that] the number of pro-choice members of Congress is at 40 percent while the Democrats have a large majority in both chambers shows that this picture is not that simple.

Pro-lifers have done extensive lobbying in Congress to win over Democrats. But both Obama and Biden are using their “approved” stamp in favor of NARAL.