U.S. Senators James Lankford of Oklahoma and Ted Budd of North Carolina are leading a new effort to permanently codify a Trump administration policy that blocks U.S. foreign aid dollars from being used to fund abortion, promote abortion access, or support DEI and gender ideology initiatives overseas. The “Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Act” aims to expand the Mexico City Policy, with supporters saying taxpayer money should support humanitarian goals instead of what they describe as politically driven programs. In other words, lawmakers are trying to make sure the next administration can’t simply hit the reset button on foreign aid priorities every four years. Many believe even government funding needs a “do not disturb” sign.

Lankford said the legislation is designed to ensure American foreign assistance reflects the values of taxpayers, while Budd argued previous policies allowed funding to be used for programs unrelated to national security or traditional humanitarian efforts. The bill has support from several conservative and pro-life organizations and would expand restrictions to include more groups, activities, and types of foreign assistance. Critics are expected to argue the measure could limit certain international programs, while supporters say it closes loopholes and keeps taxpayer dollars from funding causes they oppose.