WHAT'S NEXT

Stop the Global Gag Rule
  1. Signatures
    911 out of 1,000
    Petitioning
    1. The President of the United States (+ 1 other)
      Petitioning
      close
      • The President of the United States
      • Sen. Harry Reid (NV)
  2. Created By
    Population Action International
About this Petition Petition Letter Petition Updates
How We Won

Apr 14, 2011

As US politicians worked for the last month to avert a government shutdown, Republican leaders took an ongoing war on women to global ends by insisting on policy riders that would have reinstated the Global Gag Rule.

After many groups sprung into action, including on Change.org, the Global Gag Rule was left out of the final spending bill signed into law last night!

This is not, however, a clear cut victory. Along with a shmorgusboard of problematic budget cuts, funding for family planning did receive disproportionate cuts in the final deal, setting the stage for another fight ahead over the 2012 budget.

Activists at Population Action International, which led the charge, thanked all those who organized to tell Obama and Reid to support international family planning. The cuts, they said, could have been much worse.

"Thank you for standing with women and sending letters to the President and Senate Majority Leader Reid supporting international family planning," said Craig Lasher, the Director of U.S. Government Relations at Population Action International, to all the Change.org members that joined the campaign. "Your activism helped stave off the severe funding cuts and damaging policy restrictions proposed by the House.  As a result, women in developing countries will have better access to the contraceptives they need to plan their families."

Members of Congress are planning an attack on women's health in developing countries. Politicians with an ideological view of family planning are now trying to cut funding for contraception, reinstate the Global Gag Rule and ban funding for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). 

President Obama overturned the harmful Global Gag Rule, which severely limits access to family planning services in developing countries. President Obama and our Congressional champions also worked hard to increase support for U.S. international family planning and the UNFPA. This funding accounts for a fraction of 1 percent of our budget and saves hundreds of thousands of lives. 

The vast majority of Americans, from both sides of the aisle, support family planning. Tell President Obama and the Senate to continue to stand up against the Global Gag Rule and for international family planning programs! 

 

Why People Are Signing
Recent Signatures

Please Continue to Stand Up for International Family Planning Programs

Dear President Obama and Majority Leader Reid,

I strongly support the U.S. investment in international family planning programs and I appreciate your steadfast leadership on these issues. Please ensure that these programs are not subjected to disproportionate, ideologically-driven funding cuts or new policy restrictions in the fiscal year 2011 spending bill.

I am deeply concerned that a House-passed spending bill (H.R. 1) cut over $200 million in funding for these critical programs. The bill also reinstated the Global Gag Rule and banned funding to the United Nations Population Fund.

Allowing these harmful funding cuts and policy restrictions to move forward would have devastating consequences. There are at least 215 million women in developing countries who would like to avoid pregnancy, but do not have access to contraceptives. Cutting international family planning funding prevents us from meeting the needs of these women. It also undermines efforts to lower maternal mortality rates, reduce unintended pregnancies, and improve the health and lives of women and their communities.

In addition, reinstating the Global Gag Rule and banning funding to UNFPA denies funding to some of the most experienced, effective and respected providers of family planning services in the developing world. These cuts and restrictions won’t reduce the deficit – they will only threaten the health of poor women and their families.

Please stand up for women and families -- support strong and effective funding for international family planning programs and reject any efforts to reinstate the Global Gag Rule or other damaging policy restrictions.

Sincerely,

[Your name]

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