What Trump’s “Anti-Abortion Executive Order” Actually Does

Women are all worried about what Donald Trump’s policies will do to their abortion rights, and an executive order he signed today has people up in arms.

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But before you freak out at all the headlines claiming that Trump signed an “anti-abortion” executive order, read up on what the order actually does.

The truth is this: yes, it sucks, but it’s not anything we haven’t been through before. In fact, it just returns things to the way they were during George W. Bush’s presidency.

Basically, Trump reinstated something called the Mexico City policy, also known as the global gag rule. The policy was first put into place under Reagan, and was also in effect during Bush’s administration, according to The Huffington Post.

Basically, it prohibits the US from giving funding to non-government family planning centers in foreign countries.

I bet you didn’t know that the US even gave money to family planning in foreign countries — especially when so many people are hoping the government defunds Planned Parenthood and similar organizations in our own country.

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But in fact, the US spends about $600 million a year on international family planning assistance. At least, they did under Obama’s administration, as well as under Clinton’s. The global gag order stops that funding.

The money is reportedly not spent on abortions, simply on women’s health, much like government funding that goes to Planned Parenthood.

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But Trump’s decision to sign this executive order might not even have that much to do with him being anti-abortion, it might simply have to do with his belief that America should not be helping out other countries with funding.

He’s just doing what nearly every Republican president has done while in office, as the Mexico City policy tends to flip-flop based on which party is in power.

It sucks because birth control helps everyone, and the estimated 27 million women and couples who previously received contraceptive services and supplies from our government will no longer be receiving them. But at the same time, this isn’t some crazy action that Trump is spearheading. It’s pretty much status quo.

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