Bush imposes the gag ruleOn January 25, 2001, on his first working day in office (and the 28th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the historic US Supreme Court decision United States establishing a woman's right to an abortion), President George W. Bush foolishly reimposed the Global Gag Rule on the population program of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This policy prevents foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that receive family planning funds from USAID from using their non-U.S. funds to provide legal abortion services, lobby their governments for abortion law reform, or even provide accurate medical advice or referrals regarding abortion. Look at the damage it's doing! The Helms Amendment of 1973 is a legislative provision that already limits the use of US funds for these activities, but Bush had to get involved for political purposes. Approximately 2 million women die each year from unsafe abortions, a statistic that could be virtually eliminated by the provision of adequate health information, services and legislative reform efforts. Nonetheless, President Bush's Executive Memorandum directs USAID "to fully reinstate all requirements of the Mexico City Policy effective January 19, 1993." Under this policy, foreign organizations – often the only health care providers in remote rural areas – are prohibited from using their non-U.S. funds to:* provide legal abortions even, you might believe, where physical condition or mental health is in danger (the only exceptions are cases of rape, incest or when the woman's life is in danger);* provide advice and information on the availability and benefits of abortion and provide referrals to another health clinic;* put pressure on their governments to legalize abortion, maintain the current law and oppose restrictions, or decriminalize abortion; and* conduct public education campaigns on abortion. Furthermore, even the provision of services that are “allowed”1 on paper, such as life-saving abortions and post-abortion care, are often curtailed because NGOs fear jeopardizing their funding through any association with abortion: that cowardice!! Providers may also be reluctant to dispense emergency contraception – which works to prevent pregnancy and is not an abortifacient (despite the lies you may hear from contraceptive groups and the Catholic Church – due to the Global Gag Rule.