As the United States pro-life movement holds its breath for results after the presidential election, pro-life groups across the country continue to make headway on a state level.
On election day, Planned Parenthood Arizona notified a federal district court that it wanted to drop its lawsuit against an Arizona law which ensures that women must wait 24 hours before obtaining an abortion (Alliance Defending Freedom reports). On the same day, voters in Louisiana passed an amendment clarifying that their state constitution does not protect the right to abortion. A Mother Jones article holds that the amendment, along with similar existing constitutional language in Tennessee, Alabama and West Virginia, is in preparation for an over turning of Roe v. Wade.
American’s await the presidential election results in nerve damaging anticipation, and they’re not alone. The results of the election will obviously have a global effect as many developing countries depend upon the US for assistance – this includes the unborn.
In 1985, President Reagan instituted the Mexico City Policy, which prohibits foreign organizations from preforming or promoting abortions if they are in agreements with or receive grants from the US for family planning assistance. Since, each democratic president has rescinded the policy. In January of 2017, one of the first actions of President Donald Trump as president was to reinstate and expanded the Mexico City Policy, now officially named the Protecting Life in Global Heath Assistance policy.
Later in 2019, President Trump expanded the policy to include any organization receiving funding (i.e. not just family planning assistance). In 2020, a further proposal was made that would extend to contracts as well as grant and agreements. Although still in its early years, pro-life advocates are hopeful for the success of the policy’s extension.
The results of the presidential election will most likely determine if abortion activist organizations such Planned Parenthood International and Marie Stopes International will receive US funding to implement and promote abortion in developing countries in desperate need of assistance. Yet, regardless of who will lead the United States for the next four years, the lives of the unborn are still on the line on a global scale. Sadly, whether the Mexico City policy is extended or rescinded, abortion activist groups will continue to receive funding from many sources. Abortion will remain an issue in dire need of activism and prayer on an international, national, state, and local level.
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