Unfortunately, Trump is unlikely to sign any measure containing a repeal of the global gag rule. Still, a bipartisan effort to repeal this harmful and unnecessary policy is worth pursuing. The policy was first established by the Reagan administration and has been alternately rescinded by Democratic presidents and reinstated by Republicans ever since. The Trump administration took things further, however, by extending the policy to far more health providers globally than ever before. When it was in effect under President George W. Bush, the gag rule applied only to about $575 million in foreign aid, and only to organizations doing family-planning work. Now it applies to about $8.8 billion in aid and covers organizations working on maternal and child health, nutrition, HIV/AIDS treatment, tuberculosis, malaria and other infectious diseases, among other concerns.
Source: latimes.com – Los Angeles Times