Mexico City Policy

The Mexico City Policy was instituted by the United States President Ronald Reagan in 1984 to make the issue of abortion a condition for providing funds from the US foreign aid agency USAID.

It required "nongovernmental organizations to agree as a condition of their receipt of Federal funds that such organizations would neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations."

This policy was in effect until it was rescinded on January 22, 1993 by President Bill Clinton.

It was reinstated in January 22, 2001 by President George W. Bush with the comment, "It is my conviction that taxpayer funds should not be used to pay for abortions or advocate or actively promote abortion, either here or abroad. It is therefore my belief that the Mexico City Policy should be restored."

See also: Abortion in the United States