January 22, 2009 | Read Time: 1 minute
President Obama is expected to scrap a rule that prevents government money from supporting family-planning groups that counsel women overseas about the availability of abortion.
According to CNN, Mr. Obama is considering overturning the so-called global-gag rule this week.
President Ronald Reagan first instituted the rule as an executive order in 1984 at a population conference in Mexico City. President Bill Clinton rescinded it, but President George W. Bush reinstated it.
Several international aid groups, including Population Action International and Population Services International, have called for the rule to be overturned.
Antiabortion groups, which are gathering in Washington today, have raised concerns about Mr. Obama’s views toward the rule and other abortion issues, reports The Washington Post.
