Obama to Immediately Abolish Mexico City Policy, Likely Fund Embryo Research, Aides Confirm

Obama to Immediately Abolish Mexico City Policy, Likely Fund Embryo Research, Aides Confirm

By Kathleen Gilbert

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 20, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - In the hours before Mr. Obama was to take the oath of office, anonymous reports confirmed that the new president intends to immediately open U.S. foreign aid funding to abortion proponents, and begin the process of opening funding to embryonic stem-cell research.

Before the week of his inauguration is over, Obama is expected to issue an executive order repealing the Mexico City Policy, a Reagan-era policy that restricts overseas funding to groups that offer or aggressively promote abortion. Sources have not indicated whether he plans to issue the order on Thursday, which would coincide with the 36th anniversary of legalized abortion in America through the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision.

According to a recent CNN interview, Mr. Obama said he might pursue funding for embryonic stem-cell research through the legislative process, rather than by executive order.

"We're still examining what things we'll do through executive order," Obama said. "But I like the idea of the American people's representatives expressing their views on an issue like this."

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) told LifeSiteNews.com that the news was a "revelation of priorities."

"President Obama is demonstrating that he aspires to be the abortion president," said Smith. "There is no doubt in my mind that by giving the green light to population control groups like Planned Parenthood and others to promote abortion overseas that there will be more abortions."

Because removing the Mexico City Policy will pour funding into groups that lobby for more liberal abortion laws globally, Smith said that right to life laws in Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia will be put at risk by the Obama presidency. Smith also said that there have been requests for a doubling of funding for population control to as much as $1 billion - the other half of a "one-two punch" in aggressive policy change that is "very, very dangerous for children."

Smith said there is "very little doubt" that the policy change would take place by Thursday. "Regrettably, even though some had hoped he wouldn’t do this (I think the realists realized it) he's a 100% abortion individual," said Smith. "And we can hope and we can pray for some change or some mitigation, but this is not change we can believe in, and most Americans I think are going to be shocked as his presidency unfolds at just how extreme his positions are.

"Look at the gatekeepers: he has embedded in key positions everywhere ardent pro-abortionists - some of the people that are really the movers shakers of the pro-abortion movement are in key gatekeeping positions when it comes to policy," he said, noting that the new Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has an unmatched pro-abortion record.

"We already have very poor abortion policy, and now it's going from bad to worse under Obama," said Smith.