The Story Behind the Mexico City Policy

One of President Trump's first actions this week was to sign an executive order known as the Mexico City Policy. The order essentially cuts American aid money to international NGOs that discuss abortion as a family planning option. That’s why opponents call it the “global gag rule.” 

But this order, while celebrated by the so-called "pro-life" movement, isn't a particularly Trumpian development. It was first instituted in 1984, and has since been repealed by each new democrat administration and revived by each new republican one. Bob talks with Jennifer Donnally, a scholar of the anti-abortion movement, about how the Mexico City Policy has become a symbol of the decades-long battle over women's reproductive rights in America.

Song:

String Quartet No. 2 (Company) : II. by Kronos Quartet