Originally published on the CGS blog on July 28, 2011.
As Melissa Kaplan wrote in her most recent blog post, “the madness continues…,” as UN funding was slashed in the House Appropriations subcommittee yesterday during the mark up of the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. The Foreign Relations Authorization Act (H.R. 2583) and State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill detract from U.S. diplomacy and development efforts by cutting UN funding and State Department funds for foreign assistance programs, as well as by strengthening the slew of restrictions that are attached to foreign aid and UN-designated dollars.
The Global Gag Rule, also called the “Mexico City Policy,” or “Mexico City Gag Rule” is one such example of a partisan restriction on international aid funds inserted in the Act and bill. The policy prohibits international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that receive US funds to advocate for, assist in, or perform abortions. In sum, international NGOs that receive U.S. funds are not able to offer any services—even if they are funded by non-U.S. dollars—that relate to abortion as a method of family planning. This policy is criticized for restricting the freedoms of international health practitioners, social workers and counselors from providing comprehensive family planning services, and enforcing partisan American values overseas upon those desperately in need of health care.
The Global Gag Rule is highly charged partisan policy that has been introduced and rescinded over the last thirty years based on the party affiliation of the President. Reagan first introduced it in 1984; Clinton rescinded it in 1993; George W. Bush reinitiated the policy as an executive order when he first took office in 2001; and Obama most recently rescinded the policy in January 2009.
In the context of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, this means that partisan politics would prevent women from receiving the comprehensive family planning services they need. Not only does the legislation reinstate the Global Gag Rule, it also prohibits funding for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and caps funding for reproductive health programs at FY08 levels. UNFPA works in over 100 countries, supporting reproductive health and family planning services and programs. It is a UN agency that works to decrease maternal mortality, the incidence of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, as well as end female genital mutilation. This is the type of organization we want the U.S. to be whole-heartedly supporting. Instead, we see HFAC and the Appropriations Committee turning their backs on UNFPA and by default the millions of men, women and children that depend on UNFPA services.
The Appropriations Committee is scheduled to vote on the State/Foreign Operations Appropriations bill on August 3rd, and if it were to become law, a similar bill would have to pass Senate. The likelihood of this happening is slim, as Senate Democrats’ priorities do not align with those of the House. This may seem like we need not worry; however, the House attacks on U.S. engagement with the UN and women’s reproductive health have escalated. The Republicans are attempting to export partisan ideals overseas—jeopardizing the ability for organizations and UN agencies to provide comprehensive health services—and we must remain wary.
