Obama is expected to quickly overturn the Global Gag Rule, among many other restrictive Bush policies, after he comes into office in January. For those who have mentally blocked the wrongdoings of the Bush administration, Bush reinstated Ronald Reagan's Global Gag Rule on his first day in office back in 2001. Obama also plans to overturn Bush's policies on stem cell research and climate change.
The Global Gag Rule denies U.S. based non-profits the right to disseminate family planning information or services, placing foreign countries in a difficult position.
Called the "gag" rule because it stifles free speech and public debate on abortion-related issues, the policy forces a cruel choice on foreign NGOs: accept U.S. assistance to provide essential health services – but with restrictions that may jeopardize the health of many patients – or reject the policy and lose vital U.S. funds, contraceptive supplies and technical assistance.
It seems only fitting that the Global Gag Rule would take priority in
an Obama administration, seeing as how he supports comprehensive sex
education and women's rights, while Bush was a crusader against both.
The Obama Brain Trust is looking to return to many Clinton-era policies that were overturned by the Bush administration, specifically those that were done with an "overtly political" (what I would call "overly personal") agenda.
Welcome back to an America we can be proud of!