President Barack Obama plans to sign an executive order ending the ban on federal funds for international groups that promote or perform abortions, officials told The Associated Press on Friday.<\/p>\n
The move, long expected in the Democratic president’s first week in office, will be welcomed by liberals and criticized by abortion rights foes.<\/p>\n
The policy bans U.S. taxpayer money, usually in the form of U.S. Agency for International Development funds, from going to international family planning groups that either offer abortions or provide information, counseling or referrals about abortion. It is also known as the “global gag rule,” because it prohibits taxpayer funding for groups that even talk about abortion if there is an unplanned pregnancy.<\/p>\n
Also known as the “Mexico City policy,” it has been reinstated and then reversed by Republican and Democratic presidents since GOP President Ronald Reagan established it in 1984. President Bill Clinton ended the ban in 1993, but President George W. Bush re-instituted it in 2001 as one of his first acts in office.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Wait until Congress passes the Freedom of Choice Act, and at a stroke of Obama’s pen, ALL state laws restricting any aspect of abortion whatsoever, and providing conscience protection for medical providers, are obliterated.<\/p>\n
For those of you who style yourselves as “Christian moderates” and voted for Obama, even though you see yourself personally as “pro-life,” because “there are other critical issues,” I hope you’re going to be sleeping well over the next few years. Or maybe I don’t.<\/p>\n