Obama reverses abortion 'gag rule'

Taxpayer dollars shouldn't be used to support abortion. As many as 80% of Americans (among them people who support abortion) don't believe taxpayer money should be used to fund it. Abortions are also linked to breast cancer, depression and worse. That's no gift to give a poor person in a developing country.

Pro-life or pro-choice, why should we pay for FOREIGN abortions?

we're on our way back to civilized, sane, intelligent country

I am not opposed to abortions being legal, however, I am opposed to the Federal Government funding abortions with our tax dollars. Here we are in the middle of a financial panic with a trillion dollar deficit and what do we do? We deepen it by giving out more money. Amazing!

I don't want my hard work to pay for "INTERNATIONAL FAMILY PLANNING GROUP" so that they can offer "UNBORN CHILD MURDERING". Raise my taxes some more DEMOCRATS. Maybe everyone in the U.S. will quit their jobs ALL AT ONCE and DEMAND WELFARE because they "CAN'T WORK". how will your INCOME DISTRIBUTION system function then?

the goverments of the world must lead the planets human numbers to a healthy 3 billion!

woot woot!!

The world population is growing by 80 million a year - that's a quarter million every day.
The U.S. is being overrun by immigration and heading for One Billion by 2090. The world's resources are being consumed to a degree that the earth is overheating.
"Sanctity of life" will sink the whole planet.
Thank goodness for some clear headed leadership in Washington.

This is a seriously heated and emotional issue and it doesn't seem right that someone that is against abortion should have their tax money taken to pay for abortions. If Obama wants to bring the country together, he is making a big mistake here.

Why are we paying for abortions in other countries?

Just when I thought Obama was bring us together - It's to soon for poor justment. We're in a financial crisis, perhaps all the elitest should fund global abortions - Let US Taxpayers help the American poor. Those that believe in prayer, please do it more frequently - We want Obama to succeed, pray that God guides his judgement on this very critical issue.

It's not so cut and dry as this itty bitty article is making it seem. Bush wasn't refusing to allow federal moneys to go to abortion providers he was stopping any clinics that provide health services from even referring women to abortion services. This ear mark was also included for the many HIV/AIDS clinics that his PEPFAR dollars went to across countries in Africa and South America. So, clinics that were reliant on US funds to run couldn't tell a woman with HIV a dying husband and several children where she could go if she chose to terminate the pregnancy for the sake of her own health. A clinic or agency that received PEPFAR money also had to denounce prostitution and not provide specific services focused on educating or treating prostitutes. It was just bad and hurtful policy!

Why is everybody so surprised about the use of their hard earned tax dollars going to fund the Abortion Industry? Abortion is one of the most lucrative, profitable and most protected of any procedure in medical practice. The Abortion Industry was one of the hardest fighting entities during the campaign to get Barak Obama in the White House. Well, there he sits; and from his chair, he'll do their bidding. Expect attacks on Second Amendment rights, First Amendment with the re-installment of the so-called Fairness Doctrine, UN mandated emissions controls that affect only the top industrial countries, demands of the anti-nuclear and anti-oil lobbies to not promote energy efficiency, etc. If the Right-To-Life movement could stop being a one-issue movement and close ranks with other conservative movements, the most liberal House and Senate could be history in 2010 and Obama could be the title of a book on the discount shelf in 2012.

We live in a global, interrelated economy and society folks. And it is in our interest and to our benefit to pay attention to the needs of and support for people around the world. Providing counseling and services to women who are pregnant is good policy, both here and abroad. Preventing unwanted pregnancies through birth control programs, which will reduce the need for abortions, is part of this package.

So glad to see the anti-abortion reactionaries are swiftly out in force. Good on you guys! Never resting. Too bad you can't put that energy toward something useful. Like, oh, maybe examining the underlying policies and their implications a bit before spouting off. Hmm?

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And yet, those who oppose the War still have to pay for it..

OBAMA RULES.

Interesting couple of days. Plan or execute an attack on the US and you go free to plan or execute more attacks, but the act of being conceived, is punishable by death

It sucks that I have to pay for something I dont agree with. Its asking poeple to pay for a usless war in some far away land...it aint right.

The same people who complain about a fraction of their tax money (say, oh, a half a cent) going to help foreign countries promote not just abortion, but also contraception and good health care for pregnant women, are the same people who will complain when immigrants come to this country with 5 or 6 kids in tow that these complainers' almighty tax dollars will ALSO be used to support by way of Medicaid and healthcare to the poor. Can't have it both ways, folks.

There is a huge difference between "promoting abortion" and "offer abortions or provide information, counseling, or referrals about abortion". None of these clinics "promote" it. A newspaper should be mindful of the words that it uses and what their meanings are, especially when dealing with such a volatile issue as abortion. By not doing so, you are only feeding into complete misunderstanding of what this policy is and giving fuel to those that oppose it (while not understanding it).
That said, I applaud this decision. There is no humane or justifiable reason to deny funding to family clinics (who offer all types of services - prenatal care, birthing, parenting advice, HIV assistance, family care) simply because they offer a woman's right to choose. This issue should also have been explained.

How can any responsible adult support abortion? I could care less about religious arguments. Any person whose ever had an abortion is completely irresponsible and truly a disgrace. In this day and age if you can't avoid an unwanted pregnancy you belong in a home for retards.

Reversal of the Mexico City policy does NOT have tax dollars paying for abortions. It merely allows US funds to go to health clinics that may, or may not, REFER women to abortion clinics, or talk about abortion as an option. It does not fund abortion.

In 2003 the National Cancer Institute found that induced abortion is not associated with increased breast cancer risk. For those opposed to funding,.....You certainly are writing ongoing donation checks for child support to third world countries in support of your moral beliefs. Of course rape by local militia and incest never crossed your mind, or how good we have it in the USA. Total USA foreign aid is less than 1% of the buget, costing less than 25 cents per person per year. The average USA citizen spends $225 on soft drinks per year.

I never voted for Bush and didn't vote for Obama, but this is just poor judgement. I don't believe Government has any authority to decide on what happens with an unborn child while one parent is competent. At the end of the day, this will do nothing for the world population and deceases the moral authority of the US. For all of those who argue about Europe and the rest of the world being a better place, I have lived there, gone to the hospitals, and seen the diverse cultures present in various societies. None have ever struck me as a culture that would support government allowing abortions freely. On day 3, Obama is not moving this country to unity, but he is starting to lose his support among those who did give him a chance. Gitmo and Abortions and Global Warming are not topics that the average joe cares about at the moment!

It's only just begun! So glad I didn't vote for this empty suit!

Under longstanding federal law, not one penny of these funds can be used to pay for abortions. That has not changed. Take a moment to reread the story.

Why are we paying for abortions in other countries? Because it's in our long-term best interest to do so. The more unwanted children that are brought into this world, the more social problems are created. As the book Freakeconomics showed a few years ago, one cause of the decline in crime in the U.S. during the 1990s was the widespread legalization of abortions in the U.S. following Roe v. Wade. These social problems in foreign countries can balloon into major international crises or into wars, and wars and crisis situations wind up costing the U.S. far more than abortions do.

With the Gag Rule, an agency could not even use Non-US money to pay for abortions or provide info about abortions without losing the US money it received. Basically they were told to advise about abstinence only. How can you judge a woman in a developing nation who has seen 1, 2, 3 of her children die of starvation and wants to end an unwanted pregnancy because she knows the fate of a new baby would be the same. How many of your children could you watch die from starvation before the age of 2?

Making choice available doesn't mean that everyone is going to go ahead and get an abortion. Having contraception available prevents disease (STD, AIDS) and improves quality of life for families. Smaller family size means a family has more resources and time to give to the children they already have. Better quality of life for everyone allows people to make better moral choices all around.

It's so sad that people think letting a woman have an abortion helps her.
I think abortions are one more way to keep women down. If we do not
have the respect for this basic sacred life, how can we "come together as a country" ? And I agree with others - we've got to get our own economy
situated before we can save the world. If I'm living on the street and I charge a
$1,000 donation on my credit card to a worthy cause, does that really make sense?

US funding murder - where are all the anti-war zealots screaming about funding the culture of death?

Money going for aid overseas for ANYTHING, and people wonder why we have a budget deficit.....

Seriously,

Fan the fires the first week in office. Shit like this is going seriously mobilize the Conservative right.

Why not hit the economy hard first and then deal with the uber controversial crap.

I

too many people cannot afford or hav any access to proper care for a mother AND or baby and the less of them we hav to support thru other funding the more money we will have for this country that needs it. WAKE UP AND THINK AHEAD POEPLE ! ! THE LESS PEOPLE THAT DO NOT WANT AND CANNOT TAKE CARE OF A CHILD THAT WE ARE MORE THAN LIKELY GOING TO HAVE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND FOOD ETC THE BETTER ! !
MOST LIKELY IF THEY CANNOT AFFFORD CONDOMS OR BIRTH CONTROLL THAN THEY CANT AFFORD TO FEED A CHILD AND OUR TAX DOLLARS PROBALY WILL

This is absolutely APPALLING. A person who believes in the sanctity of life and who is opposed to abortion on eligious and moral grounds, and who thinks abortion is MURDER should NOT have his/her tax dollars used to pay for abortions.

"As many as 80% of Americans (among them people who support abortion) don't believe taxpayer money should be used to fund it."

Says who? Cite your sources or quit making up stuff.

This is absurd! Of course John "Live Shot" "Do Nothing" Kerry is on the front line of this one. How much of our hard earned money is being sent OUTSIDE of this country to fund this social agenda??? Obama is just getting warmed up...

Some of the over-the-top right wing nutcases that are posting here are infinitely more frightening and downright scary than anything our leadership could ever do. You read some of these comments such as from "J" and you know exactly what it is we should be afraid of.

What made Bush's policy so heinous was that it removed family planning from the table for millions of poor people. If you are anti-abortion, then shouldn't you be supportive of women having birth control? Why force a woman into a situation where she either has to deliver a baby she can't support, risk dying in labor, or have an unsanitary backroom (or back alley) procedure.

We KNOW promoting abstinence as the only form of birth control and family planning DOES NOT WORK (look at Sarah Palin's daughter), but Bush decided to deny HIV+ mothers, rape victims, and the poor in the developing world any alternative.

T

I am not familiar with all the intricate details of the ban as it existed under Bush. However, I just need to say something to those who hail the overturning of the ban as a good, positive, and progressive thing. Perhaps that ban was not the right way to prevent abortions, perhaps it had other consequences that were harmful to women.

But, someday, I hope and pray that those who care for the rights of women - as do I - will realize that providing abortion on-demand does NOT further the interests of women. It allows men to escape their personal responsiblity to provide for the children they create. It places all the burden on women to make a horrific decision that may cause them grief and sorrow for the rest of their lives. And, of course, it kills the innocent life growing in the womb. Would you have wanted your mother to have an abortion when she was pregnant with you?

I think we all need to stop yelling back and forth at each other about this heartwrenching issue and do everything we can to make abortion unnecessary, except to save the mother's life or health. That might mean limiting our sexual contact to stable, committed relationships that can support the lives they might create. And that wouldn't be such a bad thing, after all.

With only 2 days since Obama has been in office, the tide is turning, and he's already rocking the boat!
I really hope that all of those people who were tripping over themselves for the "Messiah" to take a good look at what this man really intends to do with this country. This is only the beginning of what is to come...

Classic move by a knee-bendng liberal. Spend more US money (borrowed) to preform abortions overseas. Sound fiscal policy!

Obama is not advocating that we spend more on international humanitarian aid, he is simply saying that we should do so more effectively. As opposed to Bush, who insisted on ineffective "abstinence only" programs that have been proven ineffective. The U.S. has and will spend money on international humanitarian aid. This happens regardless of which party is in power.

This is definitely NOT MEANT TO DIRECTLY FUND ABORTIONS. But I'm sure if you hate Obama, it's probably is a lot more fun to think that it is.

This is directed at allowing us to fund hospitals and larger aid organizations that just also happen to provide abortions under certain situations. Come on, do you even think developing nations have places that ONLY do abortions? Specialty medical services aren't exactly a trademark of the undeveloped world.

And for the people who are aghast that we provide aid abroad when we've got even one problem remaining at home: wake up! It's a diplomacy tool.

1) I'm in favor of the repealing the Mexico City Policy. However, I think we should delegate how much funding we can provide at this time.

2) Pro-lifers who see this as an attack on their principals should know they were supporting a policy that did not fund international NGO's which received other funding sources to provide abortion assistance when a women was raped, or their life was in danger. Not my kind of principal.

3) Pro-lifers, does an abortion half way across the world effect your life? No. So, stop whining, stop trying to make people feel guilty, worry about your own bodies and stay out the business of others.

Thank goodness for President Obama. This funding has been changing with every administration from Reagan, who banned it, Clinton reinstated it, Bush banned it and now gratefully Obama has restored it.
The mindset that ignores the medical care, pregnancy prevention, pre natal care and help women with families recieves from this funding is inexcusable. Not every sperm deserves a name and the birth control, health services and information offered in this program will help prevent unwanted pregnancies, provide health care for women and lower the need for abortion. Thank you President Obama for providing support for women and famiies during times of adversity. You make me proud to be an American.

From either side of this issue,i can not find a good thing about it.So now we again have no control over where our tax dollars go? I am pro life,except where health is a big issue.You can call it anything you want too,but when a ''fetus'' has a heartbeat that can easily be found(after 18 days) it is Murder,,,no different than killing a week old baby.We would be outraged (i hope we still would be anyway) if we saw this happen and the person would be guilty.But we have slaughtered over 5,000,000 babies ,and now Our great new president has signed it back in that we fund it as well.If this does not make you sick to your stomach,i really don't know what will..I am afraid this is just the beginning ,and i am also afraid we are about to see wrath unfold like america never has before from God above,Yes people.the blood from these little ones are crying out and will be heard above....

If we truely want to help stop the death in other countries,teach them how not too become pregnant,not how to kill.And as a matter of fact .In america millions of babies have already been aborted..Has it stopped people from having more?Have we taken care of the poor,homeless?Are we all healthy?NO!!!!!
iF THIS DIDN'T WORK HERE. why do you think it would work elsewhere?????
All this is is population contol....in a way like genocide...

and i scream out that i want no part of this......For this i want no guilt of it...