EXCLUSIVE: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and a coalition of Republican senators are poised to introduce a significant legislative measure aimed at restricting U.S. foreign aid funds from being used for abortions on Thursday, according to information obtained by Fox News Digital.
The proposed legislation, known as the “American Values Act,” seeks to permanently reinforce and broaden existing bans on the allocation of U.S. foreign assistance for the performance or promotion of abortion services internationally.
The bill stipulates that foreign assistance funds cannot be utilized for performing abortions, promoting or lobbying for or against abortions, or for forced sterilization. Additionally, it aims to prevent U.S. foreign aid from being directed towards biomedical research related to abortion.
Furthermore, the legislation will impose permanent restrictions on funding to organizations that engage in or support programs involving “coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.” It will also ensure that funds allocated to the Peace Corps cannot be used for abortion services.
“American foreign aid should always align with American values — and that means no foreign assistance funds should ever be used to perform or promote abortion services,” Risch stated. “I’m proud to introduce the American Values Act with my colleagues to hold our government accountable to this standard and protect the sanctity of life across the globe.”
The bill has garnered support from several Republican senators, including Roger Marshall of Kansas, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Rick Scott of Florida, Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Steve Daines of Montana, Tim Sheehy of Montana, Bill Hagerty of Tennessee, and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska.
This legislative push follows President Donald Trump‘s recent directive to freeze federal funding intended for “woke” initiatives and the “weaponization of government,” as part of a broader effort to enhance governmental efficiency.
In announcing this order, the White House highlighted that the Department of Government Efficiency had identified million earmarked for the World Health Organization and an additional million allocated for “funding condoms in Gaza” as wasteful expenditures.
“That is a preposterous waste of money,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt remarked.