Global Democracy Promotion Act (H.R. 619 & S.1744)
Introduced by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY)and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)

What it is
Why you should support it
Bill status
Take action
Fore more information

What it is>>
While U.S. foreign assistance is, among other things, intended to promote democracy, the Global Gag Rule, a Reagan-era policy reinstated by President Bush, runs counter to that goal—and puts women's health at risk.

The Global Gag Rule (also known as the Mexico City Policy) requires that in exchange for U.S. assistance for family planning services, foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) receiving funding through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) must withhold information from women about the option of legal abortion and where to obtain safe abortion services-even if they use only their own funds to do so. Additionally, the groups cannot engage in any public debate or disseminate any information regarding the health hazards of unsafe abortion, express support for any existing laws that support safe abortion, or provide legal abortion services with non-U.S. funding. This policy stifles free speech and prevents medical professionals from offering the full range of legal, medically acceptable options to women. It is contrary to U.S. law and would be held unconstitutional if imposed on U.S.-based organizations.

The Global Democracy Promotion Act (H.R. 619 & S. 1744), or GDPA, is a legislative response to a policy that is undemocratic and un-American. It establishes a standard that the United States will not impose restrictions on organizations outside its borders that it would not impose on organizations within its borders. The legislation will allow funding for organizations that provide services that are legal in their own country and also legal in the United States. The bill will end the punishment of health care providers that observe the same standards of medical ethics and seek the same freedom of speech that apply in the United States.

Why you should support it>>

• The GDPA will give the weight of U.S. law behind the principle of democracy. This bill will ensure that foreign organizations remain free to participate in the political process of their own countries. It will further ensure that they remain free to provide full, complete, and accurate information about health care options. These are among the most important guarantees that we enjoy as Americans, and our foreign policy should promote those same principles.

• The Global Gag Rule has undermined critical health services overseas. In Zambia, for example, the Family Life Movement of Zambia (FLMZ), a faith based, anti-choice and pro-contraception organization has been stymied in efforts to expand programs because the Global Gag Rule disqualified Planned Parenthood Association of Zambia (PPAZ), a partner organization. FLMZ promotes abstinence among young people in Zambia, and does not provide contraceptives of any kind. For those young people who were sexually active, FLMZ would refer them to PPAZ, where they could receive information about condoms and other contraceptives. But the Global Gag Rule has forced PPAZ to close three of its nine rural outreach programs and cost them more than $100,000 worth of condoms and other contraceptives.
  
  In Peru, the Movimenta Manuela Ramos agreed to the policy for a program they run called ReproSalud (Reproductive Health). Manuela Ramos facilitates discussions with local women from poor communities about their reproductive health needs, and then works with the Ministry of Health to develop specific responses to the needs of women. In many communities, women identify unsafe abortion as their most pressing problem. The Global Gag Rule, however, prohibits Manuela Ramos from engaging in discussions about ways to reduce illegal, unsafe abortion.

• The GDPA can help reduce the incidence of abortion. When President Bush reinstated the Global Gag Rule, he said he supported the provision of family planning services as an important way to prevent the need for abortion. However, there is no evidence that the Global Gag Rule has had any impact on reducing abortions-in fact, as noted above, it has limited access to critical prevention services. By overturning the Global Gag Rule, organizations will again be able to provide the breadth of services acceptable in their own countries that improve women's health and well-being.

Bill status>>
The Global Democracy Promotion Act was introduced in the House on January 22, 2007 (the sixth anniversary of President Bush reinstating the Global Gag Rule). It was introduced in the Senate on June 28, 2007.

In September 2007, by a vote of 53-41, the Senate approved the GDPA as an amendment to the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill.  President Bush, however, threatened to veto the entire bill over this provision, so it was removed from the final version - primarily because there is not enough support in the House or the Senate to override a veto.

Take action>>
Help build the bipartisan support needed to ensure that the United States supports true democracy-including basic freedoms of speech.

• Contact your Representative and your Senators today and ask them to co-sponsor the Global Democracy Promotion Act (H.R. 619 &
  S. 1744). Click here to find your Representative and his or her contact information and here to find your Senators.
• Thank yous are always nice. Contact Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) and Sen. Barbara Boxer - the primary sponsors of the Act - and thank them for their leadership on this issue.

For more information>>
Impact of the Global Gag Rule on Specific Countries