Statement from NOW President Toni Van Pelt:

Washington, D.C. — It’s not enough for Donald Trump and his henchman at the Department of Health and Human Services to attack abortion rights and put women’s health at risk.  At this week’s United Nations General Assembly, HHS Secretary Alex Azar tried to erase the words “reproductive health and rights” from the dictionary. 

At the UN’s first high-level meeting on universal health coverage, Azar called on the United Nations to remove what he called “ambiguous terms” relating to sexual and reproductive health in policy documents. 

At the same meeting, Trump cozied up to dictators and strongmen who share his contempt for democracy and human rights. Azar announced the U.S. was speaking on behalf of autocracies like Brazil, Egypt, Libya and Sudan that criminalize abortion.  Trump can’t ban abortion in all 50 states with a tweet, but he thinks he can put language that objectively describes reproductive health care on a list of banned expressions. 

We’re not surprised—after all, Donald Trump boasted during his UN visit that he “took over” the United States on his election, and his thirst for absolute power grows more dangerous every day.  

Donald Trump left the United Nations in the shadow of impeachment, and Alex Azar should join him there.  

Contact

Kimberly Hayes, Press Secretary, press@now.org, 202-570-4745