President Donald Trump has proved his pro-life credentials on his first full day in office by reinstating the "Mexico City policy" that restricts US funding for abortion and abortion education around the world.
Trump signed an executive order that blocks foreign aid or federal funding for NGOs that provide or promote abortions.
His Vice President, Michael Pence is strongly anti-abortion. International Planned Parenthood is among the organisations that will be impacted.
Trump's executive order came the day after the anniversary of the Roe v Wade Supreme Court ruling on Sunday that legalised abortion. Saturday saw hundreds of thousands of women in the United States, London and elsewhere join an anti-Trump protest march. Next weekend in Washington also sees the annual March for Life, The Hill reports
Trump signed the order as new research from the conservative Catholic organisation Knights of Columba, reported this evening by Christian Today, shows a surprising level of agreement among pro-life and pro-choice people for restrictions on abortion.
The Mexico City policy is named after the city where it was announced, in 1984, at the United Nations International Conference on Population. Republican President Ronald Reagan introduced it. Since then it has been successively adopted by Republicans and then rescinded by Democrats, including Barack Obama in 2009, who attacked it as "unwarranted".
Rep Michael Burgess, chairman of the House health committee, told The Hill: "Life is a precious and sacred gift, and we must do all we can to protect it.
"I applaud President Trump for taking this important action and look forward to continuing to work together in advancing pro-life policies and protecting taxpayer dollars."
Democrats denounced the order as reflecting a "dangerous obsession" with rolling back reproductive rights.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, attacked the move. In a statement she said: "President Trump's reinstatement of the Global Gag Rule ignores decades of research, instead favoring ideological politics over women and families.
"I will continue to stand up to President Trump and Republican leadership in Congress who are intent on rolling back women's access to reproductive healthcare, and will introduce bipartisan legislation to repeal the Global Gag Rule for good."
