January 28, 2009
Just five days after President Obama overturned the Mexico City Policy, the United States Senate defeated an amendment which would have kept the Mexico City Policy as the law of the land.
President Reagan first established the pro-life Mexico City Policy in 1984. Named for the city where it was announced, the policy declared that American tax dollars would not fund nongovernmental organizations involved in performing or promoting abortions abroad. President Bill Clinton rescinded the policy his first day in office. President G.W. Bush reinstated the policy as his first executive order on January 22, 2001.
Today Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL) introduced an amendment to restore the Mexico City Policy to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill. The Martinez amendment failed by a vote of 37-60.
