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OCR Page 1 of 101Clinton Cancels Abortion Restriction
THE WASHINGTON POST
1/23/93
of Reagan-Bush Era
'Gag Rule' on Clinics, Federal Ban
On Fetal Tissue Research Are Lifted
ABORTION, From A1
Ended restrictions on United Na-
By Ann Devroy
vented women-in many cases
tions population programs that had
Washington Post Staff Writer
poor women-from obtaining abor-
prevented use of U.S. funds for ef-
tions. Clinton also supports chang-
In a sharp break with a decade of
forts that include information or
ing the legislation that prevents the
Republican rule, President Clinton
counseling on abortion. The restric-
District of Columbia from funding
yesterday overturned several re-
tions came to be called the "Mexico
abortions for poor women, but that
strictions on abortion 20 years to
City Policy," for the city where it
move must be taken by Congress,
the day after the Supreme Court
was announced, and Clinton said
which tried for several years but
legalized the procedure.
they had severely limited interna-
failed to override a Bush veto.
As antiabortion demonstrators
tional family planning and popula-
Clinton's actions were hailed by
marched outside the White House,
tion control.
Clinton moved to reverse actions
Returned to overseas U.S. mil-
abortion rights activists, scientific
taken by former presidents Ronald
itary hospitals the right to perform
researchers, population-control ex-
Reagan and George Bush that had
abortions as long as they are paid
perts and a range of other groups
curtailed abortions. "Our vision
for with private, not federal, funds.
that had fought limits for 12 years.
should be of an America where
Ordered the government to re-
They were attacked by the anti-
abortion is safe and legal but rare,"
view the Bush-era ban on the pri-
abortion movement as a capitula-
Clinton said.
vate importation of RU-486, the
tion to abortion rights "pressure
At a televised Oval Office cere-
French abortion pill, and to end the
groups" that want no restrictions
mony, Clinton:
ban unless there is a clear medical
whatever on abortion.
Lifted restrictions on abortion
reason not to.
The statements in response to
counseling by anyone but physicians
The actions, two days after Clirt-
the actions exempiified the differ-
at federally funded clinics. The re-
ton took office, fulfill a campaign
ent planes on which the abortion
strictions had come to be known as
pledge to abortion rights groups
argument is being waged: Neither
the "abortion gag rule."
although the president portrayed
politicians nor abortion rights ac-
Lifted restrictions on federally
his moves as ones that return med-
tivists want to be portrayed as
sponsored research on medical use
ical decisions to women and their
backing abortion, only backing wo-
of fetal tissue. Clinton said he was
countelors, not as ones that suggést
men's rights to choose appropriate
affected during his election cam-
he supports abortion.
medical care. Abortion opponents
paign by families of victims of dia-
The actions constitute virtually
want the issue to be portrayed as
betes and Parkingon's disease who
everything a president alone could
one of opening the floodgates to
pleaded with him that such research
do to remove restrictions that pre-
abortion on demand.
held the possibility of cures.
See ABORTION, AS, Cal. 1
Clinton's actions, said Eleanor
Smeal, president of the Feminist
1/2
Relations
belongs_to