US Politics Mega-thread - Page 6868

The “global gag rule” imposed by Donald Trump, blocking US funds to any organisation involved in abortion advice and care overseas, could impact millions of women and girls, endangering their lives and those of their babies, Bill and Melinda Gates have warned.

The changes are expected to result in funding from the world’s biggest donor to family planning and women’s health programmes in the developing world being slashed. It could, Bill Gates told the Guardian, “create a void that even a foundation like ours can’t fill”.

Gates and his wife spoke out as they published a progress letter to Warren Buffett, the businessman who 10 years ago invested a large part of his fortune in the couple’s foundation which has at its centre the mission to save children’s lives. Empowering women and girls, the couple said, was central to that aim.

Trump signed an executive order reimposing the Mexico City policy, also known as the global gag rule, on his first full day in office. Republican presidents since Ronald Reagan in 1984 have imposed the policy, while their Democrat counterparts have lifted it. The rule strips funds from any organisation that “performs or actively promotes abortion as a method of family planning” overseas.

But Trump’s order goes further, applied to any organisation that receives funding from US Aid , not just those involved in family planning. That expansion, said Melinda Gates, was a surprise.

“We’re concerned that this shift could impact millions of women and girls around the world,” she said. “It’s likely to have a negative effect on a broad range of health programs that provide lifesaving treatment and prevention options to those most in need.

“This includes programmes that prevent and treat HIV, TB and malaria, and provide healthcare to women and children around the world. Enabling women to time and space their pregnancies and providing access to treatment and prevention of infectious diseases is lifesaving work. It saves moms’ lives and it saves babies’ lives, and that has long had wide support in the United States.”

Bill Gates said their foundation would not be able to bridge the potential funding gap. “The US is the No 1 donor in the work that we do. Government aid can’t be replaced by philanthropy. When government leaves an area like that, it can’t be offset, there isn’t a real alternative. This expansion of this policy, depending on how it’s implemented, could create a void that even a foundation like ours can’t fill.”

He had an early phone call with Trump in November and then a meeting in December with the president-elect in New York, he told the Guardian. They talked about the eradication of polio, which Gates hopes could come as early as this year, and the research his foundation is supporting towards an Aids vaccine and ways to protect people from pandemics such as Ebola in west Africa.

“So that was a good discussion – the fact that he was interested in having me talk about the Foundation’s work – I was pleased,” said Gates.

But the philanthropist did not anticipate the scope of the executive order affecting family planning, an issue at the centre of the foundation’s work, that Trump was to sign.

On February 14 2017 22:50 Sermokala wrote:
If Sally Yates didn't want to defend the EO she should have resigned. Instead she decided to go against the duly elected representative and throw the justice department into temporary chaos.

No one will talk about her in a month. Most people stooped talking about her days after she was fired. No ones talking about warren's "censure-ship" over the letter she wanted to read anymore.

On February 14 2017 13:55 Plansix wrote:


Scott Detrow of NPR pointing out that the fake news defense has limits. Much like crying wolf.

He covers congress and is a good follow on twitter. Mostly news and talking to other reporters.

On February 14 2017 22:57 biology]major wrote:


And what "courage" does it take when you are going to be replaced in a few days by Trump appointment regardless of what you do? What she did was neither brave or correct.

On February 14 2017 23:48 biology]major wrote:
Bob Harward is basically a Mattis recommendation, and he's most likely going to get the job. Petraeus might also get it but he's got the clinton baggage w/ classified information.