Kerry Applauds Reversal of Global Gag Rule

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) released the following statement following President Obama's reversal of the Global Gag Rule:

"I am glad that President Obama has moved so swiftly to lift the Global Gag Rule which has too long handcuffed our ability to provide aid around the world. Today's announcement is a very powerful signal to our neighbors around the world that the United States is once again back in the business of good public policy and ideology no longer blunts our ability to save lives around the globe.

"For too long, the Mexico City policy isolated the United States and limited our leadership. By tying the hands of global health providers, ideology trumped our capacity to provide effective family planning services and limited the scope of partners we could work with in the international community. It hindered the ability of NGOs to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS and denied contraceptives to families in the world's poorest countries."