West Hollywood City Praises Biden Administration Move To Reverse Trump-Era Anti-Abortion ‘Mexico City Policy’

Press release from the City of West Hollywood:

January 28, 2021

The City of West Hollywood applauds President Biden for standing in support of women and reproductive justice in signing an Executive Order on Thursday, January 28, 2021 to reverse the Trump Administration’s reinstatement of the “Mexico City Policy,” a global gag rule to prohibit international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that provide or discuss abortion services from receiving federal funding.

The Biden Administration’s reversal of the Mexico City Policy reflects the Administration’s support of women and signals a broader commitment to protect women’s health and to advance gender equality in the United States and around the world.

“All women everywhere must have control over our bodies, our decisions, and our lives,” said City of West Hollywood Mayor Lindsey P. Horvath. “The Trump-era reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy had a devastating impact on women. In fact, it actually served to increase unintended pregnancies by reducing access to contraception. The Biden Administration’s action to rescind the policy is outstanding news for women, girls, and transgender people, all of whom may face reproductive health risks, and this will lay the groundwork again for positive changes to reproductive health and rights around the world. We must, however, remain vigilant in continuing to guard a woman’s right to reproductive freedom. Today, we’re still seeing harmful forces at work at the federal level and in state legislatures that aim to restrict women's health and outlaw abortions. We will not sit by and we will not back down. The City of West Hollywood will continue to fight for women to be treated with respect and for dignified healthcare for all. Anything less is unacceptable.”

The Trump-era reenactment of the Mexico City Policy, formally issued as the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) policy, had a harmful impact, both in funding received by organizations and in women’s health outcomes. A 2020 Global Health Assistance report from the United Stated Government Accountability Office (GAO) found in 2017 at least 54 instances when NGOs did not accept U.S. federal aid dollars because they did not want to cease abortion access advocacy or limit abortion counseling and resulted in NGOs foregoing $153 million. An analysis published by the American Public Health Associations in 2019 revealed a myriad of harms from the policy, including reduced access to contraception, attendant increases in unintended pregnancy and induced abortion, and negative outcomes in non-reproductive health domains.

The Trump Administration first issued its Presidential Memorandum Regarding the Mexico City Policy in January 2017. The City of West Hollywood responded in February 2017 by approving a Resolution as part of a broader response to a series of Trump-era executive actions that “undermine the rights of minority groups and to reverse course on progressive policies” including the reinstatement of the Mexico City policy, to prohibit the City from doing business with businesses providing financial or other benefits to the President of the United States.

The Trump Administration, in April 2017, then acted to cut off funding through the federal Title X family planning program by signing H.J. Res 43, to roll-back protections put in place by the Obama Administration, which were intended to prevent conservative Governors who oppose abortion and family planning services. The City of West Hollywood spoke out with an Official Statement and approved a Resolution in opposition to such changes to Title X funding.

In May 2019, the City of West Hollywood became the first city in the nation to take action against states that passed extreme anti-choice legislation by passing a Resolution to enact financial sanctions, and the City and pro-choice organizations stood together on a National Day of Action to #StopTheBans those states had enacted.

The City of West Hollywood was the first city in the nation, in 1993, to declare itself pro-choice. More than two decades later, West Hollywood continues its efforts to vigorously defend women’s reproductive rights and access to healthcare. The City of West Hollywood has continually supported state and federal legislation protecting and advancing women’s reproductive rights and access to healthcare and the City regularly monitors federal proposals that impact West Hollywood’s residents, including women, LGBTQ residents, people with disabilities, seniors, people of color, and immigrants, among others.

The City of West Hollywood has declared a local emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Individuals are advised to stay at home as much as possible and limit close interactions to those in your household. When in public, community members should maintain your space with social (physical) distancing of at least six feet, and cover your face. Public Health officials recommend that everyone, even those who are vaccinated, continue to follow physical distancing and infection control directives and wear a clean face covering that securely covers both your nose and mouth when in in public.

West Hollywood City Hall is currently closed to the public and has suspended all in-person transactions. Most public City buildings and facilities remain closed.

This press release was produced by the City of West Hollywood. The views expressed here are the author’s own.