More Than Forty Organizations Urge Congress to Repeal Dangerous and Divisive Bush-Backed Global Gag Rule

Washington, D.C. – Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, announced that her organization, along with more than 40 others, sent a letter urging Congress to follow through on recent House and Senate votes against the Bush-backed global gag rule.  Other signatories included Catholics for a Free Choice, Planned Parenthood, and Sierra Club.

“The global gag rule has had devastating effects on family-planning services for the world’s poorest women,” Keenan said in unveiling the letter. “Despite President Bush’s indefensible veto threat, members of the Senate and House, led by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), finally have an opportunity to send the president a bill that reverses this dangerous policy. Pro-choice Americans are looking to Congress and the president to repeal the global gag rule.”

The global gag rule, which President Bush imposed on his first business day in office, prohibits the United States from granting family-planning funds to any overseas health clinic unless it agrees not to use its own, private, non-U.S. funds for abortion services or counseling, or even to take a public pro-choice position.  This year, for the first time in recent memory, both chambers have taken action against the devastating global gag rule.  Notwithstanding President Bush's preemptive veto threat, NARAL Pro-Choice America and the more than 40 organizations joining this effort strongly urge Congress to include this issue in the final bill that is sent to the president.

To view the full text of the letter the NARAL Pro-Choice America and more than 40 other groups sent to Congress, please visit /assets/files/abortion-access-to-abortion-refusal-clauses-global-gag-house-letter.pdf.   

Contact:
Ted Miller, 202.973.3032