Pompeo expands abortion 'gag rule' as Trump's State Department will stop funding foreign groups that pass U.S. money to 'the global abortion industry' By David Martosko, U.s. Political Editor For Dailymail.com Published: 14:44 GMT, 26 March 2019 | Updated: 14:50 GMT, 26 March 2019 Viewcomments Secretary of State Mike Pompeo put new pressure Tuesday on overseas abortion providers by announcing an expansion of the U.S. policy that stops taxpayer dollars from funding foreign family-planning clinics that terminate pregnancies. Despite the Trump administration's 2017 readoption of what's known as the Mexico City Policy, officials found that some nongovernmental organizations that don't perform abortions were using State Department grants to make pass-through payments to those that do. Pompeo called those arrangements 'back-door funding schemes and end-runs around our policy.' Tuesday's clampdown, he told reporters in a brief press conference, is a bid to 'continue to meet our critical global health goals, including providing health care for women, while refusing to subsidize the killing of unborn babies.' 'As before, we'll continue to refuse to provide assistance to foreign NGOs who perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning,' he said, adding that the State Department also 'will refuse to provide assistance to foreign NGOs that give financial support to other foreign groups in the global abortion industry.' Opponents of the Mexico City Policy call it a 'global gag rule,' arguing that it prevents U.S.-funded groups from even discussing the availability of abortion as a viable option for pregnant women in the Third World. 'That's silly,' Pompeo said Tuesday, referring to the nickname. 'This is this is a policy that is designed fundamentally to protect human beings.' The policy was first enacted in 1984 and later became a partican punching bag, with Democratic presidents hamstringing it and Republicans enforcing it. Barack Obama formally rescinded it when he became president, only to see Donald Trump reinstate it on his first day in office. A group of 150 Democratic House and Senate women proposed a bill in February that would permanently repeal the policy that has slashed access to abortion at U.S. taxpayers' expense. They claimed it has unintended consequences, including forcing the closure of health clinics and refugee programs that have refused to go along with restrictions from Washington. 'Permanent repeal of this anti-woman policy is more important now than ever before,' New York Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey said when she introduced her bill. Pompeo dismissed those concerns on Tuesday, responding to complaints about financial difficulties felt by clinics that help fight HIV and tuberculosis infections. 'These two don't run at cross purposes,' he said. 'One need not perform abortions in order to protect people from HIV. They're fundamentally disconnected.' The pro-life movement cheered Pompeo on Tuesday. 'Taxpayer dollars should not fund abortion here or abroad, and respecting the inherent dignity of the unborn person goes hand in glove with our country’s foreign assistance and humanitarian work,' March For Life president Jeanne Mancini said in a statement. Family Research Council President Tony Perkins claimed that '[t]he abortion industry is well known for relentlessly pursuing taxpayer dollars – and will exploit any opportunity to grab U.S. taxpayer funds.' 'Thankfully, President Trump and Secretary Pompeo are just as relentless in working to ensure taxpayers aren't forced into a partnership with the abortion industry overseas,' he said. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility