Thompson Condemns Executive Order to Deny Women Healthcare

Washington – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) denounced the President's executive action to reinstate the global gag rule. This rule prevents the United States from providing aid to foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that engage in abortion services or advocacy with non-U.S. funds, depriving vulnerable women across the world of access to critical medical services. Currently, these NGOs run HIV/AIDS clinics, offer birth-control, and provide counseling services to women—many of whom are victims of violence, rape, and other horrors.

"It is shameful that after millions of women worldwide took to the streets to voice their concerns, the President would ignore the will of the people and reinstate this harmful rule," said Thompson. "Women are suffering the ravages of violence and disease across the world. Denying them access to medical care is needlessly cruel, and to do so immediately on the heels of the 44^th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade just adds salt to the wound."

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