RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
President Trump signed several executive orders yesterday. One of them was related to abortion. His order restored something called the Mexico City policy, which bars U.S. funding for any international aid group that provides abortion-related services. NPR's Nurith Aizenman has more.
NURITH AIZENMAN, BYLINE: U.S. law has long prohibited American aid dollars from directly paying for abortions overseas. But Trump has taken that a step further by reinstating a policy embraced by Republican presidents. It requires groups supported with U.S. funds to promise they won't even use other non-U.S. funding sources to provide abortions. Anti-abortion advocates say the ban - it's often called the Mexico City policy because it was first announced by President Reagan in that city - is necessary. Arina Grossu is with the Family Research Council.
ARINA GROSSU: There's a fungibility factor. We don't know exactly how that money will be used. And the only way to protect taxpayer money from going for abortions is by reinstating the Mexico City policy.
AIZENMAN: But some of the major aid groups that offer a wide range of health care services to poor women overseas say there's no way they can comply with this policy, particularly since it also prohibits groups from promoting abortion. And that's been interpreted to cover informational activities, like providing a patient with referrals and even basic facts about abortion.
Also, while every Republican president since Reagan has enacted the ban, Trump has expanded it. Now, it will cover not just family planning aid, but the entire $10 billion plus budget for global health assistance. Nurith Aizenman, NPR News.