Mike Pompeo

Shortly After Assuming His Role As Secretary Of State, Pompeo Announced  That Under His Watch, The Global Gag Rule Would Become Even More Extreme

Pompeo Declared That The Global Gag Rule Now Applies To Aid Organizations That Provide Funding To Other Groups That Provide Or Discuss Abortion. “The US will dramatically expand its efforts to enforce a rule that denies funding to overseas aid groups and health organizations that provide or promote abortion services, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday. "We will refuse to provide assistance to groups who provide funding to other groups" that provide or discuss abortion with clients, Pompeo said in an announcement at the State Department. "American taxpayer dollars will not be used to underwrite abortions," Pompeo said. He added that, "This is decent; this is right."” [CNN, 3/26/19]

• Aid Groups Say The Move Will Further Harm Reproductive And Other Healthcare Globally. “Aid groups and lawmakers said the move will harm global public health, further undermining programs focused on issues such as HIV, malaria, and maternal and child health that have already come under pressure from the Trump administration's policies. Tuesday's announcement will lead to more, not fewer abortions, these groups said, an argument backed by long term independent studies.” [CNN, 3/26/19]

Pompeo Announced The United States Intends To “Punish” The Organization Of American States, A Diplomatic Body, Because A Group Under It Engaged In Abortion Rights Advocacy

Pompeo Also Said The United States Would “Punish” The Organization Of American States — A Diplomatic Body — Because “American Officials Had Become Aware That A Group Under The Organization Of American States Had Engaged In Abortion Rights Advocacy.” “In his announcement, Mr. Pompeo said American officials had become aware that a group under the Organization of American States had engaged in abortion rights advocacy. As a result, the State Department will now stipulate in assistance agreements that the diplomatic body must promise no American funds will be used to lobby for or against abortion. The United States would reduce funding to the organization as punishment, Mr. Pompeo added.” [New York Times, 3/26/2019]

The Trump Administration Unsuccessfully Tried To Defund The State Department’s Office Of Global Women’s Issues — And Since Pompeo Became Secretary Of State, He Has Subsequently Gutted It

Shortly After Taking Office, The Trump Administration Unsuccessfully Attempted To Completely Defund The State Department’s Office Of Global Women’s Issues. “Donald Trump plans to strip all funding from a State Department bureau that promotes the rights of women around the world, it has emerged. Oxfam America led criticism of the move, saying said cutting funds for the Office of Global Women’s Issues would have “dire consequences for millions of people, as well as our global standing”.  Documents first leaked to Foreign Policy showed plans to reduce the office’s 2016 budget of $8.25 million (£6.43 million) to zero in 2018, though the President’s budget will still have to make it past Congress.” [The Independent, 4/25/17]

• The Office Has Since Been Gutted, As Described By A Former State Department Career Official. “When I returned to the department last month to urge my former colleagues to continue this important work, I was struck by how few career officials were left. Walking by the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, I observed an open door revealing rows of empty desks—the lights were on, but literally no one was home. This administration has refused to appoint an ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues to lead the office and has reduced office staffing by half by refusing to fill vacancies and devaluing work on women’s rights, causing many former staffers to leave the department or seek work in other bureaus.” [Foreign Policy, 10/23/18]
• The Decimation Of The Office Of Global Women’s Issues “Allowed The Deletion Of The Reproductive Rights Subsection To Occur Without Much Internal Pushback.” “This decimation of staff and lack of senior leadership allowed the deletion of the reproductive rights subsection to occur without much internal pushback.” [Foreign Policy, 10/23/18]

A New “Commission On Unalienable Rights” Was Formed Within Pompeo’s State Department, Stacked with Appointees Hostile to Sexual and Reproductive Rights

May 30, 2019: The State Department Announced The Formation Of A New Commission On Unalienable Rights, Formally Launched On July 8, 2019

The May 2019 Announcement Of The New Commission Noted It Will Have Advisory Powers. “The State Department recently published a brief, enigmatic notice announcing the formation of a new Commission on Unalienable Rights. With a modest budget of $385,074 and merely advisory powers, the commission received little attention beyond head-scratching over its strange name. Yet the significance of the endeavor should not be overlooked. It puts the government’s imprimatur on an assault upon one of the cornerstones of modern liberalism: international human rights. According to the commission’s draft charter, its job will be to explore ‘reforms of human rights discourse where it has departed from our nation’s founding principles of natural law and natural rights’.” [Washington Post, 6/14/19]

The State Department Formally Launched The Commission In July 2019. “The State Department will formally launch on Monday an advisory commission on human rights that has engendered controversy since it was proposed.” [Washington Post, 7/8/19]

The Commission On Unalienable Rights Is Likely To Champion “Traditional Values” Using Human Rights As A Justification

The Trump Administration Has Not Supported International Human Rights — Yet Will Likely Try To Use The New Commission And Rights-Based Language To Achieve Their Preferred Policies. “Donald Trump is not known as a supporter of international human rights. However, late last week, the Trump State Department announced a new Commission on Unalienable Rights to provide advice and recommendations regarding international human rights policy. Advocacy NGOs are likely to be unhappy, as the commission is likely to attack many of their preferred policies, using human rights — albeit a very different set of rights than most activists prefer — as a justification.” [Washington Post, 6/6/19]

The New Commission Will Likely Prioritize “Natural Family” And “Traditional Values” To Limit Reproductive Rights, Gun Control, And Immigration. “The Trump Commission on Unalienable Rights is likely to champion the “natural family” and “traditional values.”… The United States has sought to purge all references to ‘sexual and reproductive health’ at the United Nations since 2017. This term, favored by mainstream human rights activists, is viewed by conservatives as code for abortion, gay and transgender rights, as well as other acts or identities that they see as ‘unnatural.’…Another likely commission favorite will be the right to individual self-defense as a justification for opposing international and domestic gun control… Natural rights could also be used to justify a tougher stance on immigration, as the expression of the sovereign right of a people to protect its territorial integrity and established culture. This clashes with a long-standing concern of human rights groups, the rights of immigrants and refugees. But it jibes well with the sentiments of nationalist movements in Europe and elsewhere, who often promote the rights of majorities.” [Washington Post, 6/6/19]

Human Rights Advocacy Organizations Have Criticized The Commission As “Politicizing Human Rights For Hate”

Amnesty International: The Trump “Administration Has Actively Worked To Deny And Take Away Long-Standing Human Rights Protections” — The New Commission Will Only Be Used To Undermine Existent Rights-Based Framework Already In Place. “Reacting to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s announcement today of a creation of a Commission on Unalienable Rights, Joanne Lin, national director of advocacy and government affairs at Amnesty International USA said: ‘This administration has actively worked to deny and take away long-standing human rights protections since Trump’s inauguration. If this administration truly wanted to support people’s rights, it would use the global framework that’s already in place. Instead, it wants to undermine rights for individuals, as well as the responsibilities of governments. This approach only encourages other countries to adopt a disregard for basic human rights standards and risks weakening international, as well as regional frameworks, placing the rights of millions of people around the world in jeopardy. International agreements, like the Universal Declaration for Human Rights, have been upheld by prior administrations over the last 71 years, regardless of their party. This politicization of human rights in order to, what appears to be an attempt to further hateful policies aimed at women and LGBTQ people, is shameful.’” [Amnesty International, 7/8/19]

At The 2019 United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Week, Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo And HHS Secretary Alex Azar Pushed The Trump Administration’s Anti-Abortion Agenda On The World Stage  

Azar And Have Been Urged Other UN Member States, Including Those With Problematic Women’s Rights Records, To Join Onto Their Anti-Abortion Agenda

Azar And Pompeo Wrote A Sign-On Letter, Presented At The UNGA High-Level Meeting On Universal Health Coverage, Urging Countries To Join A “Growing Coalition” Of “Pro-Life” Nations. “The US is understood to have written to UN member states urging them to join a ‘growing coalition’ of countries rallying against abortion, in what seems to be the latest attempt by the Trump administration to rollback women’s rights. In the letter signed by the secretary of state Mike Pompeo and health and human services secretary Alex Azar, governments are encouraged to sign a joint statement opposing ‘harmful’ UN policies that promote sexual and reproductive health and rights. The statement will be presented to a high-level meeting on universal health coverage at the UN general assembly on Monday, says the letter, which suggests multilateral agreements have been misinterpreted to promote pro-choice policies.” [The Guardian, 9/23/19]

• Azar And Pompeo’s Letter Declares Concern Of “Aggressive Efforts” On The World State To Ensure “A New International Right To Abortion.” “We remain gravely concerned that aggressive efforts to reinterpret international instruments to create a new international right to abortion and to promote international policies that weaken the family have advanced through some United Nations fora. Evidence of this is found in references throughout many multilateral global health policy documents to interpret “comprehensive sexuality education” and “sexual and reproductive health” and “sexual and reproductive health and rights” to diminish the role of parents in the most sensitive and personal family-oriented issues. The latter has been asserted to mean promotion of abortion, including pressuring countries to abandon religious principles and cultural norms enshrined in law that protect unborn life.” [HHS.gov, 7/18/19]
• This Joint Statement Follows A Letter Issued In July 2019 By Azar And Pompeo Urging Allies To Join The United States In Protecting The Unborn And Defending The Traditional Family Unit. “The comments follow a letter issued in July by Azar and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressing similar concerns and asking foreign leaders to ‘join the United States in ensuring that every sovereign state has the ability to determine the best way to protect the unborn and defend the family as the foundational unit of society vital to children thriving and leading healthy lives.’” [NPR, 9/23/19]

In Announcing The U.S.-Led Statement Opposing Reproductive Rights, Azar And Pompeo Aligned Their Efforts With Countries That Are “Hardly Champions Of Women’s Rights”

Azar Presented The Statement At The UNGA Meeting Representing “the United States of America, Bahrain, Belarus, Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, Iraq, Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.” [HHS.gov, 9/23/19]

Advocates Consider The United States’ Position “Extreme,” “Isolated” And Supported By Countries Including Russia, Saudi Arabia, And Bahrain, Which Have Problematic Histories With Women’s Rights. "The United States is isolated. Their position is extreme," Kowalski, of IWHC, said in an interview with NPR. "They read their statement in conjunction with countries like Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain — which are hardly champions of women's rights. And if they're the countries that the U.S. is aligning themselves with, then I think we're right to dismiss that they have any moral stake in this battle." [NPR, 9/23/19]

Organizations Including The Heritage Foundation Praised The Trump Administration’s Anti-Abortion Efforts At The United Nations

Heritage Claimed That Terms Like “Sexual And Reproductive Health” Are Being Used To “Promote Abortion And Who Knows What Else” At The UN. “Grace Melton, who represents the conservative Heritage Foundation at the U.N., said conservative groups believe terms like ‘sexual and reproductive health’ are being used to "promote abortion and who knows what else" at the United Nations. ‘The concern for a vast number of countries is that it has been used to promote abortion, and that's not what they want,’ Melton said.” [NPR, 9/23/19]

All The While, Trump’s Health Department Has Ignored That A Lack of Access To Safe Abortion In a Leading Cause of Maternal Death Worldwide

The World Health Organization Advocates For Access To Safe And Legal Abortion And Endorsed The Statement, “Almost Every Abortion Death And Disability Could Be Prevented Through Sexuality Education, Use Of Effective Contraception, Provision Of Safe, Legal Induced Abortion, And Timely Care For Complications.” [World Health Organization, 6/26/19]

Pompeo’s State Department Issued A Concerning Rule To Deny U.S. Visas To Pregnant Women From Largely Non-Western Countries 

January 2020: The State Department Issued A Rule Aimed To Combat “Birth Tourism”

The Rule Instructs Consular Officials To Deny Pregnant Women U.S. Visas Unless They Can Prove That They Are Not Going To Give Birth In The US. “The Trump administration issued a new rule on Thursday instructing United States consular officials to deny pregnant women visas unless they can prove “to the satisfaction of the consular officer” either that they are not traveling to the U.S. to give birth, or that they have a legitimate medical reason to give birth in the country.” [TIME Magazine, 1/24/20]

The Trump Administration Says That The Rule Is An Attempt To Crack Down On So-Called Birth Tourism. “The administration says the new provision is an attempt to cut down on what’s known as “birth tourism,” or when women come to the U.S. specifically to give birth so that their children gain American citizenship.” [TIME Magazine, 1/24/20]

The Rule Is Medically Unenforceable — And Relies Largely On The Jurisdiction Of U.S. Consular Officials Who Likely Have No Medical Training

Watchdog Groups And Medical Professionals From Organizations Including the American College of Obstetricians And Gynecologists (ACOG) Have Sharply Critiqued The Rule

Ur Jaddou, Director Of The Watchdog Group DHS Watch, Points Out The Absurdity Of Consular Officers Being Given The Discretion To Determine That A Woman Is Pregnant Based On Appearance. “Well, the most obvious concern is, what does reason to believe will give birth during her stay in the United States actually mean? When a consular officer is given that discretion to determine that, does that mean a woman that might have a belly bump or perhaps might have a little extra weight - is she all of a sudden faced with questions about her reproductive cycle? As you can see, the questions start becoming quite absurd.” [NPR, 1/25/20]

An American College Of Obstetricians And Gynecologists (ACOG) Doctor Called The Fact That The State Department Is Trying To Charge Immigration Officers With No Medical Background With The Task Of Adjudicating People’s Pregnancies Very Concerning. “…Critics say the new rule may be deeply flawed. One problem is that it relies on U.S. consular officials, who likely have no medical training, to review the evidence pregnant women provide and determine whether they have a legitimate medical reason to give birth in the U.S. “The fact that they’re trying to charge immigration officers, who have no medical background, with adjudicating people’s pregnancies” is very concerning, says Carolyn Sufrin, a doctor and a fellow with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.” [TIME Magazine, 1/24/20]

The Rule Will Apply Only To Mothers Traveling To The United States From Countries Outside of the Visa Waiver Program (VSP), Which Consists Largely of European Nations — Raising Alarm From Bioethics Experts As Well As Immigrants’ Rights And Watchdog Groups

The Rule Will Not Affect People From The VSP, Which Consists Largely Of European Nations. “The rule will not affect people coming from 39 countries that are included in the U.S.’s Visa Waiver Program, which allows citizens from those countries to visit the U.S. for brief periods of time without visas. ‘So then this would be discriminatorily applied to certain women as opposed to other women,’ [Louise] King [a doctor and director of reproductive bioethics at] … Harvard’s Bioethics Program says.” [TIME Magazine, 1/24/20]

The Following Countries, Primarily Comprised Of Wealthy, European Countries, Will Not Be Subjected To The New Rule. 

[Travel.state.gov, accessed 1/27/20]

Ali Noorani, Executive Director Of The National Immigration Forum Said The Rule Continues To Advance The Administration’s Narrative “That Children Of Immigrant Children Are Not As Good As Children Of Parents From The U.S.” “Ali Noorani, the executive director of the immigrant advocacy organization the National Immigration Forum, says one problem about the rule is that it sends an ugly message. It ‘continues to advance a narrative by the administration,’ he says, ‘that children of immigrant parents are not as good as children of parents from the U.S.’” [TIME Magazine, 1/24/20]

Ur Jaddou Of DHS Watch Called The Rule’s “Racial Disparities… Extremely Concerning.” “This is a State Department regulation, which means it will apply to anybody that needs a visa to travel to the United States. It will not apply to 39 countries who participate in a program called the Visa Waiver Program. Foreign nationals from these countries do not need to go to a consulate and obtain a visa to travel to the United States. So it won't apply to them. And those countries are generally the Western, more industrialized nation. But this - the new rule applies to everybody else. So as you can see, it's also having some racial disparities, which is also extremely concerning for many of us.” [NPR, 1/25/20]

Under The Rule, Women Of Child-Bearing Age Could Be Denied Visas Simply Because Consular Officers Suspect They Might Have Children During The Time Frame Of Their Visa — Often Up To Ten Years

The Rule’s Draft Language Is So Broad It Gives Consular Officers Room To Deny Visas For Up To Ten Years Based On Mere Conjecture. “However, the actual language is drafted in a way that's even broader and could potentially lead to even more absurd results because visitor visas are often granted for up to 10 years. And in that case, a consular officer could have reason to believe that even a non-pregnant woman, just because she is of childbearing age, could one day use that visa to give birth in the United States.” [NPR, 1/25/20]

Pompeo Fought The Repeal Of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell And The Legalization Of Marriage for Same-Sex Couples, Which He Still Opposes

As A Congressmember, Pompeo Has Repeatedly Supported Anti-LGBTQ Legislative Efforts

Pompeo Opposed The Military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy On LGBTQ Service Members, Saying That They “Do Not Reflect The Values Of [The] Nation.” “During his three terms as a Kansas congressman, Pompeo opposed the repeal of the military's ‘don't ask, don't tell’ policy on gays, saying, ‘When you enter the Army you give up a few of your rights.’ On a panel at the Value Voters Summit in 2011, he also said, ‘We cannot use military to promote social ideas that do not reflect the values of your nation.’” [NBC News, 4/12/18]

As A Congressmember, Pompeo Sponsored Two Unsuccessful Bills Attempting To Give The License To Discriminate Against LGBTQ People. “Pompeo also co-sponsored two unsuccessful bills — the Marriage and Religious Freedom Act of 2013 and the State Marriage Defense Act of 2014 — in response to the 2013 Supreme Court ruling, United States v. Windsor, which gutted the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).” [NBC News, 4/12/18]

Pompeo Called The Legalization of Marriage for Same-Sex Couples A “Shocking Abuse Of Power” And Remains Opposed To Marriage Equality Today

Pompeo Pledged In 2015 To Continue to Oppose Marriage for Same-Sex Couples. “In 2015, when the landmark Obergefell v. Hodges ruling came down effectively legalizing same-sex marriage across the nation, Pompeo released a statement condemning the decision as a ‘shocking abuse of power’ and vowing to ‘continue to fight to protect our most sacred institutions.’” [NBC News, 4/12/18]

In 2018, Pompeo Reiterated His Opposition To Marriage Equality. “Mike Pompeo, President Donald Trump's pick as the next secretary of state, reiterated his opposition to same-sex marriage on Thursday during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.” [NBC News, 4/12/18]

• Rights Advocates Including GLAAD Called Pompeo’s Reaffirmed Opposition To Marriage As Disqualifying For The Secretary Of State Position. “‘Mike Pompeo's reaffirmed opposition to marriage equality and LGBTQ rights further proves that he is dangerously wrong to serve as our nation’s chief diplomat,’ Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of the LGBTQ rights group GLAAD, said in a statement.” [NBC News, 4/12/18]

Pompeo Routinely Employs Dangerously Inflammatory Islamophobic Language And Engrains His Anti-Muslim Views Into Discriminatory Policy — Yet Claims He Is Working To Defend Religious Freedom

In The Wake Of The Boston Marathon Bombings, Pompeo Falsely Suggested Muslim Leaders Were Complicit In The Attacks

Pompeo Said That The Supposed “Silence Of Muslim Leaders” Has Made Them “Potentially Complicit” In Bombings. “On June 11, 2013, not long after the Boston Marathon bombings, a Republican congressman from Kansas took to the floor of the House of Representatives. ‘It’s been just under two months since the attacks in Boston, and in those intervening weeks, the silence of Muslim leaders has been deafening,’ began Mike Pompeo, before going on to claim that ‘silence has made these Islamic leaders across America potentially complicit in these acts and, more importantly still, those that may well follow.’” [The Intercept, 8/10/19]

In Reality, Every Major Muslim Organization In The United States Had Condemned The Attack — Yet Pompeo Refused To Apologize Or Retract His Statement. “Pompeo’s remarks were ‘false and irresponsible,’ as the Council on American Islamic Relations demonstrated at the time. Every major Muslim organization in the United States had put out a statement condemning the horrific terror attacks in Boston within hours of the blasts. Democrat Keith Ellison, one of only two Muslims members of Congress back in 2013, complained to Pompeo on the House floor — but the Republican refused to apologize and doubled down on his smear.” [The Intercept, 8/10/19]

Pompeo Has Strong Ties To The Largest Anti-Muslim, Designated Hate Group In The U.S. 

ACT for America’s Brigitte Gabriel Called Pompeo A Longtime “Steadfast Ally” Of ACT, Presented Him With The Organization’s “Highest Honor.” “According to ACT for America’s Brigitte Gabriel, Pompeo “has been a steadfast ally of [ACT for America] since the day he was elected to Congress.” Pompeo was awarded ACT’s “highest honor,” the National Security Eagle Award for 2016. That same year, Pompeo sponsored the room at the U.S. Capitol for ACT’s “Legislative Briefing” in conjunction with its annual national conference. Pompeo spoke at these briefings in 2016, 2015 and 2013.” [Georgetown Bridge Initiative, 10/29/19] 

• The Southern Poverty Law Center Has Designated ACT As An Anti-Muslim Hate Group Due To Its Flagrant Denigration Of Muslims. “Brigitte Tudor, better known as Brigitte Gabriel, founded ACT for America in 2007 at a time when the anti-Muslim movement was beginning to take shape in the United States… the group has undoubtedly grown to become the largest anti-Muslim group in America… ACT for America is listed as an anti-Muslim hate group because it pushes wild anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, denigrates American Muslims and deliberately conflates mainstream and radical Islam.” [SPLC.org, accessed 2/4/20]
• ACT Head Gabriel Said That Muslims “Cannot Be Loyal Citizens Of The United States.” “Gabriel has said that practicing Muslims ‘cannot be loyal citizens of the United States.’ In a 2011 appearance on CNN, Gabriel said, ‘America has been infiltrated on all levels by radicals who wish to harm America. They have infiltrated us at the CIA, at the FBI, at the Pentagon, at the State Department. They're being radicalized in radical mosques, in our cities and communities within the United States.’” [SPLC.org, accessed 2/4/20]

Pompeo Has Drastically Reduced The Number Of Refugees Admitted To The United States, Blocking Muslims In Particular

During Pompeo’s Tenure, Muslim Refugees Resettled In The US Has Decreased By 91 Percent. “Under Pompeo’s leadership at the State Department, the Trump Administration slashed the maximum number of refugees admitted to the U.S. to 30,000 in 2018, and to 18,000 in 2019, the lowest levels since the start of the program in 1980. In accordance with the Trump Administration’s Muslim Ban, the administration has blocked Muslim refugees in particular. Of all refugees resettled in the U.S. between Fiscal Years 2016 and 2018, Muslim refugees resettled in the U.S. deceased [sic] 91%.” [Georgetown Bridge Initiative, 10/29/19]

Despite His History Of Islamophobia, As Secretary Of State, Pompeo Hosted The First-Ever Ministerial To Advance Religious Freedom At The State Department In July 2018

Pompeo Hosted the Ministerial To Convene World Leaders In Discussing Religious Discrimination. “On July 24-26, Secretary Pompeo hosted the first-ever Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom at the Department of State. The Ministerial convened leaders from around the world to discuss the challenges facing religious freedom, identify concrete means to address persecution of and discrimination against religious groups, and promote greater respect for religious liberty for all.” [State.gov, 7/27/18]

• At The Event, Pompeo Announced A Public-Private Partnership Program That To Promote And Defend Religious Freedom. “Secretaty [sic] Pompeo announced  the State Department will host a three-day accelerator workshop called Boldline to support and scale innovative public-private partnerships that promote and defend religious freedom around the world in October 2018.” [State.gov, 7/27/18]
• Pompeo Also Announced The Potomac Declaration And The Potomac Plan Of Action, Documents Reasserting “The United States’ Unwavering Commitment To Promoting And Defending Religious Freedom.”  “He also announced the release of the Potomac Declaration and the Potomac Plan of Action. The Secretary said, ‘These documents reassert the United States’ unwavering commitment to promoting and defending religious freedom. They recommend concrete ways the international community and governments can do more to protect religious freedom and vulnerable religious communities.’” [State.gov, 7/27/18]