Sunday, newly inaugurated President Donald Trump began the process of defunding Planned Parenthood. In his first week in office, President Trump signed an executive order that ends funding to Planned Parenthood’s international outreach. As the largest abortion business in our nation, Planned Parenthood uses federal funds intended for nongovernmental international aid organizations to promote abortion abroad. President Trump’s executive order ensures that Planned Parenthood, and any other abortion organization that refuses to stop the slaughter of the preborn, is barred from receiving foreign aid.
Trump’s executive order reinstates the “Mexico City policy” first enacted by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. Reagan’s administration first instituted the “global gag rule” for abortion businesses like Planned Parenthood when Reagan signed the executive order in Mexico City. Predictably, one of anti-Life Bill Clinton’s first acts in office in 1993 was to reverse the Pro-Life Mexico City policy. When former President George W. Bush was inaugurated in 2001, he once again cut funding to Planned Parenthood for international aid.
Given this tit-for-tat between the two major political parties, no one was surprised that former President Barack Obama was quick to reverse the Mexico City policy. Obama was not merely another Democrat toeing the party line, however. The last eight years have witnessed the most anti-Life president in our nation’s history. Despite Planned Parenthood’s demonstrated Medicaid fraud, shocking scandals, and ongoing investigations at the federal and state levels, America’s number one abortion business remained in Obama’s good graces. This is not surprising, because Obama rode into office on a campaign paved with Planned Parenthood dollars, and Planned Parenthood was one of the most vocal supporters of the doomed Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.
In addition to reversing the Mexico City policy, Obama tried to prevent states from defunding the abortion giant and appeared at fundraisers for Planned Parenthood. Obama went so far as to proclaim at a 2013 gala: “Thank you, Planned Parenthood. God bless you.”
President Trump’s decisive action shortly after his inauguration to begin the process of defunding Planned Parenthood underscores the importance of a Pro-Life president. Texas Right to Life hopes that President Trump and the Pro-Life majority in Congress will follow through on their promises to end any and all taxpayer funding of abortion organizations. President Trump’s victory was essential in achieving this important task. Additionally, nominating a justice to the Supreme Court and addressing Planned Parenthood’s scandal-ridden past requires a strong, Pro-Life president. Trump’s executive action early in office gives us hope that he will maintain Pro-Life principles in these ongoing challenges. With this week’s executive order, undoing the far-reaching anti-Life agenda of Obama and advancing the Culture of Life has begun.