WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Vice Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, today offered the following statement on President Obama’s Executive Order repealing the Global Gag Rule, which prohibits organizations in other countries from receiving U.S. family planning assistance if they provide abortion information or services.

“The Global Gag Rule impeded family planning organizations from reducing unsafe abortions, the spread of HIV/AIDS, and infant mortality.  Today, President Obama put the United States back on the path of promoting public health and humanitarian aid around the world. I look forward to working together with the President to advance a common-sense agenda for advancing the health of women and families in the U.S. and worldwide,” said DeGette.

President Bush reinstated the Global Gag Rule, or Mexico City Policy, in the first week of his presidency.  The rule had previously been in effect from 1984 until 1993, until being rescinded by President Clinton.  The Global Gag Rule prohibited organizations in other countries from receiving U.S. family planning assistances if they use funding from any other source to provide abortion information or services.

Click here to read and listen to a recent NPR report with Congresswoman DeGette about this issue.