DeLauro Statement on Trump’s Decision to Block Family Planning Abroad

WASHINGTON, DC (January 23, 2017) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement following President Trump's decision to reinstate the "Mexico City Policy," also known as the "Global Gag Rule," which restricts federal funding for organizations that provide basic health care and family planning services around the world.

"President Trump has made a swift turn to the right in his first week in office, having chosen to deny safe, affordable family planning services to women across the world. The Mexico City Policy has long been a tool of conservatives to appease anti-choice advocates at the expense of women in struggling nations, including those in Central America and sub-Saharan Africa.

"At a time when we are still fighting a global HIV-AIDS epidemic and are grappling with the devastating effects of Zika, public health organizations are our first line of defense in saving lives. That President Trump has chosen to target them with his first set of executive orders is a turn in the wrong direction that only stands to reverse the progress we have made.

"The millions of women and men who marched last weekend, and millions more, are watching. We will not sit silently while President Trump and the far-right promote a dangerous and ideological agenda that will only make life worse for women and their families across the globe. President Trump should reverse this decision immediately and work to strengthen global public health programs, not defund them."