Video

The global gag rule just expanded: here’s how it threatens reproductive rights worldwide
Amy Friedrich-Karnik, Director of Federal Policy, Guttmacher Institute, warns that the Trump Administration’s expanded global gag rule now extends beyond abortion to restrict broad health services and programs supporting marginalized communities worldwide. She explains that the policy will cut care, weaken health systems, and export an anti-abortion, anti-trans agenda through US foreign assistance, urging Congress to intervene.

Transcript:

There's a lot happening right now affecting our sexual and reproductive rights, our human rights, in the US and around the world.

With so many competing headlines, I want to share one more critical issue with you. The Trump Administration has expanded the already cruel global gag rule, a policy that has long used US foreign assistance to impose harsh anti-abortion ideology around the world.

Our evidence shows that past iterations of the policy caused immense harm. Access to contraception was diminished in many places, and health systems were weakened. But a new supercharged global gag rule goes much further, imposing a harsh anti-abortion, anti-trans ideology around the world.

Under this massive expansion, organizations that receive US foreign assistance will be prohibited from providing many forms of health care, not just abortion-related care and from running programs that support underserved communities. The damage will be severe. Programs will be cut, people's access to vital health care will be limited, and health systems will be further weakened.

The Trump Administration is weaponizing foreign aid to advance an agenda that rejects bodily autonomy, reproductive freedom, equity and human rights to countries around the world.

Congress has the ability to stop this and must act. We will be working hard to ensure that they do so. Because global health policy should save lives, not silence providers, erase communities, and limit people's rights.