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"It is my conviction that taxpayer funds should not be used to pay for abortions or advocate or actively promote abortion either here or abroad," Bush wrote in his executive memorandum to the U.S. Agency for International Development, which oversees so-called family-planning aid to foreign countries. It was Bush's first major policy action since becoming president on Saturday and came to the delight of pro-life advocates. It reverses the Clinton administration's pro-abortion position and restores the pro-life policy in place during the Reagan and Bush administrations. "This means that the U.S. government will no longer be using taxpayer dollars to try to legalize abortion in countries in Latin America, Africa and Muslim countries in which the people are strongly opposed to abortion and believe in the protection of unborn children," said Douglas Johnson, legislative director for National Right to Life Committee. Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer said the order would not be divisive. "This position is supported on a bipartisan basis," he said. "Most Americans do not support the use of taxpayer money for these purposes." Abortion supporter Kate Michelman of NARAL saw it as Bush's "latest act of war" on abortion, following on his nomination of staunch pro-life advocates to key Cabinet posts -- including former Sen. John Ashcroft for attorney general and former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson as secretary of health and human services. Bush "is using his presidential powers quite aggressively already to undermine a woman's right to choose and clear a pathway to the overturning of Roe v. Wade," Michelman said. "I think it's a harbinger of things to come -- Supreme Court appointments, judicial appointments ... . There's quite a bit of harm that can be done to women's reproductive rights. "The pro-life policy became known as the Mexico City policy because it was announced by Reagan at a 1984 population conference there. U.S. funds will flow unrestricted to international pro-abortion groups on Feb. 15 unless the new president acts by executive order to impose the Mexico City policy, as Bush has decided to do. The decision brought very positive responses from many pro-life leaders and organizations. Gail Quinn, Executive Director of the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, explained: "President Bush's action today in re-establishing the Mexico City Policy is an important first step in reversing the pro-abortion policies of the previous Administration. Withholding funds from organizations that promote or perform abortions overseas (often in violation of the host country's own laws), sends a clear message that Americans will not subsidize attacks on the first and most basic human right, the right to life." "President Bush's action is a welcome indicator that he intends to stick to his pro-life campaign promises," Family Research Council President Ken Connor said Monday from the March for Life. "The first step towards 'building a culture of life' is to stop exporting the culture of death. With this decision, President Bush signals that ensuring the right to life to each individual worldwide will be central in his foreign policy agenda." "It is clear that President Bush intends to honor his pledge to support life and work to limit abortions," said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. "The decision by the President to prohibit the use of taxpayer funds to provide abortion is a critical first step in protecting the life of the unborn. This is a clear sign that the President intends to fulfill his promise to be a pro-life President. It is both refreshing and culturally significant that we now have a President and an administration that is dedicated to defending life." Rep. J.C. Watts, an Oklahoma Republican, welcomed the announcement. "Taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize groups like International Planned Parenthood, whose mission is to topple pro-life laws of countries around the world. I congratulate President George W. Bush for restoring the policy that worked well during the Reagan-Bush years," Watts said. January 22, 2001 Source: The Pro-Life Infonet, infonet@prolifeinfo.org
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