Washington, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lois Frankel (FL-22), Ranking Member of the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) Appropriations Subcommittee issued the following statement after President Trump signed an executive order reinstating the Global Gag Rule, a policy that prevents foreign organizations receiving U.S. global health assistance from providing information, referrals, or services for legal abortion or advocating for access to abortion services in their country — even with their own money.

“At a time when women around the world are facing unprecedented threats to their safety and well-being—including the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in conflict zones—this policy is a cruel and dangerous step backward,” said Rep. Frankel. “The Global Gag Rule denies millions of women access to essential health care, not because of what these organizations do with U.S. funds, but because of their commitment to providing comprehensive, life-saving information and services.”

While U.S. law already prohibits foreign assistance funding for abortion services, this harmful policy goes much further. It cuts off funding to health organizations that are addressing critical global health challenges—including expanding access to contraception, preventing and treating HIV/AIDS, combating malaria, and improving maternal and child health—simply because they provide women with the information they need to make their own personal health care decisions.

“This order doesn’t just put reproductive health care out of reach; it threatens entire health systems, leaving women and families in vulnerable communities less safe and less healthy,” added Rep. Frankel. “No woman should be denied the ability to make her own health care choices, no matter where she lives.”

With upcoming legislation Rep. Frankel and like-minded colleagues call on Congress to act swiftly to protect global health funding from this harmful policy and ensure that organizations providing critical health care services are not silenced or penalized for giving women the information they need to stay safe, healthy, and empowered.

The Global Gag Rule has a long and damaging history. Initially imposed in 1984, it has been rescinded and reinstated along partisan lines ever since. President Trump first reinstated the policy in 2017 during his first term, only for President Biden to rescind it through executive order in 2021. Research has found that abortion is more prevalent and maternal and child mortality increases when the policy is in place. Its reinstatement now is a stark reminder of the ongoing fight for women’s rights and access to health care worldwide.

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