Trump administration to destroy USAID abortifacients worth millions

The Trump administration made a preliminary decision to destroy contraceptives purchased by the Biden-era foreign aid contracts, a State Department spokesperson told WORLD on Wednesday. A limited number of abortion-inducing products purchased by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, have been approved for disposal. It will cost $167,000 to destroy the items, which will not include condoms or HIV medications, according to the spokesperson. Officials saved taxpayers about $34 million by canceling pending orders placed by the former administration, the spokesperson added. 

State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce on Tuesday addressed reports that the United States was planning to destroy an overseas stock of contraceptives purchased for USAID. The Trump administration follows the Mexico City policy restricting U.S. support for abortifacients abroad, she said, and does not support forced sterilizations. The State Department recognizes the issues, but is committed to enacting policies that Americans care about, she said.

Reports began emerging throughout the last month that the Trump administration planned to burn nearly $10 million in contraceptives purchased by USAID. The supplies, currently stored in a Belgian warehouse, consist of 2 million injectables, 900,000 implantable devices, and over 2 million oral packets, according to a report by The Washington Post.

What have been the reactions to the reports? Students for Pro-Life America President Kristan Hawkins on Monday described the administration’s reported plans as a win, saying that the birth control in question included abortion-inducing drugs. Doctors Without Borders said Tuesday that the decision would risk the health and lives of women and girls internationally.

The decision to destroy contraceptives came weeks after Secretary of State Marco Rubio cut all USAID foreign assistance programs. The administration planned to prioritize trade instead of doling out aid and push needy countries to opportunity over dependency, Rubio said.

Dig deeper: Read my previous report for more about the Trump administration’s new plan to foster trade while overhauling USAID.