Trump Admin Announces New Effort to Enforce Mexico City Policy

USAID Acting Administrator
John Barsa

John Barsa, the Acting Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, announced in an Oct. 30 press release that his agency is making a new effort to ensure foreign organizations receiving assistance from the United States abide by abortion-related restrictions. These restrictions should prevent these organizations from providing or promoting abortion, but they have gone largely unenforced.

“The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is committed to the well-being of all women and children, and to ensuring all of our partners are in compliance with abortion-related legal restrictions and the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) Policy,” reads USAID's press release.

The press release also says the actions USAID will take include “training, implementation, monitoring, and documentation” as well as “possible sanctions and consequences for non-compliance.”

Recipients of USAID funding also received a letter from Dr. Alma Golden, USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health. It reads, “As a reminder, the statutory restrictions related to abortion apply to all U.S. foreign-assistance funds, not just health funds, including USAID-funded activities implemented by both U.S.- and non-U.S.-based partners.”

Golden's letter asks USAID recipients to report documentation of their compliance with abortion restrictions by Nov. 30.

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