Hello friend,
This Halloween, there’s nothing scarier than reality. From the elimination of US global health funding to the reported impending expansion of the Global Gag Rule, millions of people around the world have seen their health and lives threatened by real-life slashers in Washington.
Time is now running out on the nearly $10 million worth of contraceptives that continue to languish in a Belgian warehouse. As a reminder, these are contraceptives that have already been purchased by US taxpayers, and that were intended to aid millions of people in low-income countries facing an unmet need for contraception. Governments and organizations have offered to distribute these supplies for the US or to purchase them outright, but the State Department has refused each of these offers.
While the administration’s plan to incinerate these essential commodities is being held up thanks to local Belgian law, these life-saving supplies are facing another fast-approaching danger: time.
The Trump administration is intentionally running out the clock on the expiration dates of these medications. By simply doing nothing, the administration is able to exploit import rules to maliciously claim regulatory compliance in destroying them.
In Tanzania, which was supposed to receive the largest share, the stockpile reportedly represents 28% of the country’s annual need. However, national policy says that medical products cannot be imported if less than 60% of the total shelf life remains. Some of the inventory will begin hitting that threshold in December, and most will become too old by mid-2026.
Let’s be clear: Whether by incineration or expiration, the Trump administration intends to destroy nearly $10 million worth of desperately needed contraceptives. Their depraved misogyny runs so deep that they would rather waste taxpayer funds than help prevent unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and needless maternal deaths.
The Saving Lives and Taxpayer Dollars Act would ensure that these supplies are distributed instead of being a symbol of callous waste. Please take action today and urge your members of Congress to co-sponsor the Saving Lives and Taxpayer Dollars Act.
