President Obama Overturns Mexico City Policy
On January 23, 2009, President Obama signed a Memorandum overturning the Mexico City Policy (MCP), thereby restoring U.S. funding to organizations that perform and promote abortion in developing nations.
The MCP specifies that federal funds for family planning are available only to nongovernmental organizations that agree not to perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning in other countries. This policy was initiated by President Reagan in 1984 and was in place until rescinded by President Clinton on Jan. 22, 1993. On Jan. 22, 2001, President George W. Bush moved to reinstate the Mexico City Policy in full. Since then, abortion advocates have been conducting a campaign to reverse that action.
Since President Obama’s action, amendments have been offered either to restore the MCP or to codify the Obama order in law. One effort in the House and another in the Senate to restore the policy failed, but an amendment to codify the policy was approved in Senate committee. | 
