Sources: Obama may quickly reverse abortion policy

[gauguin57]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/19/obama.abortion/index.html

By Suzanne Malveaux
CNN White House Correspondent

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President-elect Barack Obama is considering issuing an executive order to reverse a controversial Bush administration abortion policy in his first week in office, three Democratic sources said Monday.

Obama's second full day as president falls on the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in the United States.

The sources said Obama may use the occasion to reverse the "Mexico City policy" reinstated in 2001 by Bush that prohibits U.S. money from funding international family planning groups that promote abortion or provide information, counseling or referrals about abortion services. It bans any organization receiving family planning funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development from offering abortions or abortion counseling.

The "Mexico City policy," commonly referred to by critics as "the global gag rule," was devised by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 at a population conference in Mexico City.

[livetohike]

1. There is lots to undue for the Obama administration

This was one of the more ridiculous policies, imo.

[Avalux]

2. Excellent! There's so much for Obama to undo -

I hope he still has time to DO. :shrug:

[Cha]

3. Good and they might as well get started on

Day ONe.

[firedupdem]

4. MSNBC reported today that some of the aides and cabinet folks

won't be at the inauguration tomorrow.....they will already be working.

[JerseygirlCT]

5. I hope that's the case! nt

[ZombieHorde]

6. That would be good. I hope he does. nt

[RiverStone]

7. He could dedicate every hour of his presidency just cleaning up Shrub's messes!

Barack is going to be a very busy man!

[No Elephants]

17. Some of Shrub's messes, like the poor, we will have

with us always. The corpses, the disabled, the million or so Iraqi refugees, the damage to the environment, the financial losses, the resentment built up against in the world, especially the Muslim world. Our grandkids, maybe our great grandkids will still be dealing with them. I cannot wait until noon tomorrow.

[bigwillq]

8. Good!

:thumbsup:

[Starry Messenger]

9. That's excellent news.

The degradation in this area under Bush has been scary.

[FloridaJudy]

10. Good start, Mr. PE

You've got your work cut out for you reversing the insane dictates of King George.

[FloridaJudy]

11. Oops, dupe

The Intertubes have the hiccups tonight.

[pleah]

12. Good. n/t

[young_at_heart]

13. It was Bush's very first order on his first day in office

On his first day in office, Bush moved to block federal aid to foreign groups that offered counseling or any other assistance to women in obtaining abortions. Days later, he announced his commitment to channeling more federal aid to faith-based service organizations.

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

14. good

[Lyric]

15. I've been hoping that he'd do this first.

It was the first thing Chimpy did when he took office. Un-doing Chimpy's very FIRST action as pResident will certainly be an enormous symbolic and practical gesture.

[No Elephants]

16. Is there a reason why we would fund abortion counseling in

other countries? Isn't that up to the other country to decide? Or am I misunderstanding?

[eridani]

19. No, we just fund family planning. Up to other countries to decide how to use the funds

Now they just won't get punished for including abortion as an option.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

18. Can any of this just be made permanent?

This is the SECOND time that a Democratic President has had to reverse this particular policy. It's great (and expected) that Obama would reverse this crazy policy but I hope that somehow the Democrats and Congress can get this (and a few other policies) passed into a permanent law that cannot just be undone with a stroke the next time (god forbid) a Republican gets back into the WH.

[Arugula Latte]

20. Hell yes!

:bounce: