MENG, FRANKEL, DEGETTE, JAYAPAL, JACOBS, AND MEEKS INTRODUCE LEGISLATION TO NULLIFY RADICAL EXPANDED GLOBAL GAG RULE
Position: The representatives introduced legislation to nullify the Trump Administration's expanded Global Gag Rule, which restricts U.S. foreign aid to organizations that provide, promote, or discuss abortion services or serve LGBTQ+ communities. They argue the expansion harms vulnerable populations and undermines the effectiveness of American foreign aid.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Reps. Grace Meng (D-NY) Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus International Women’s Rights Task Force, Lois Frankel (D-FL) Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs, Diana DeGette (D-CO), Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Co-Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus Transgender Equality Task Force, Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Co-Chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus Member Services Task Force and Co-Chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus Transgender Equality Task and Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced the Protecting Human Rights and Public Health in Foreign Assistance Act, legislation that will nullify the Trump Administration’s radical, unprecedented expansion of the Global Gag Rule (GGR). The Global Gag Rule prohibits international non-governmental organizations from receiving U.S. funding if they provide, promote, or even discuss abortion services, even in countries where abortion is legal. Although U.S. funds are already prohibited from being used for abortion overseas, the policy requires recipients to forgo any abortion-related activities—even when using their own, non-U.S. funds. It also restricts organizations from referring patients to providers for critical, and in many cases lifesaving, care. In January, the Trump Administration issued an unprecedented expansion of the Global Gag Rule through three final rules—without public comment—under a new framework titled “Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Policy.” These rules, “Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance,” “Combating Gender Ideology in Foreign Assistance,” and “Combating Discriminatory Equity Ideology in Foreign Assistance,” collectively represent an unprecedented expansion of the Global Gag Rule. Together, these radical and far-reaching policies effectively ban all foreign assistance unless recipients conform to anti-abortion, anti-DEI, and anti-trans policies. In addition to exporting far-right, anti-choice ideology around the world, the new policies also target the existence of minority and LGBTQ+ communities, that are often persecuted by America’s adversaries due to their acute vulnerability. By preventing organizations from directing outreach or healthcare services to these groups even in cases of disproportionate impact, these rules will prevent American foreign aid from reaching its full effectiveness, abandon at-risk communities in their times of greatest need, and give America’s adversaries expanded license to target these groups. “The Trump Administration’s crusade against healthcare and global aid is putting millions of lives at risk worldwide,” said Rep. Meng. “No one will flourish under the new Expanded Global Gag Rule. These policies weaponize foreign aid and will result in greater harm, particularly for women and girls, marginalized communities, and LGBTQI+ individuals. They should never have been implemented at all, let alone without even a basic public comment process. This legislation will reverse these dangerous policies. I’m proud to lead this effort with my fellow leaders in global health, reproductive freedom, equality, and foreign aid.” “Trump’s expanded Global Gag Rule turns nearly all foreign aid into a political loyalty test, dictating what partners can do with their U.S. and non-U.S. funding,” said Rep. Frankel. “It throws out facts, ignores experts, and puts ideology ahead of people’s lives—blocking assistance for any partner that even provides basic information about reproductive health care or doesn’t fall in line with the Administration’s views on diversity and so-called “gender ideology.” I’m proud to stand with Rep. Meng and my colleagues to push back on these harmful, dangerous policies—and fight for foreign aid that actually works to protect human rights and save lives. “For over four decades, the Global Gag Rule has been used as a deadly weapon to undermine global reproductive health,” said Rep. DeGette. “As Co-Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus, I have seen Republican presidents' anti-abortion extremism lead to more unsafe abortions and preventable maternal deaths far too many times. Now, the Trump administration is taking it to an unprecedented level, with dangerous consequences for women and girls, minority communities, and LGBTQI+ people. Our foreign assistance dollars are meant to improve the lives of those they support, not force health care out of reach in those communities. We will not stand idly by as Donald Trump threatens to hold all foreign aid and countless communities around the world hostage to his extreme and dangerous agenda. It is past time for the Global Gag Rule to go.” “Trump’s dismantlement of foreign assistance and global health infrastructure have already killed thousands of people across the globe,” said Rep. Jayapal. “The expansion of the Global Gag Rule, which has been used for decades to suppress reproductive freedom abroad, prevents humanitarian organizations and foreign governments from working to address racism, gender discrimination, or ethnic conflicts. These unnecessary and cruel restrictions will put vulnerable communities, especially women and girls, ethnic minorities, and LGBTQIA+ individuals at risk. I am proud to champion this effort to reverse the Global Gag Rule to ensure the U.S. can be a moral leader on the global stage.” “Only Donald Trump could make the Global Gag Rule exponentially worse – expanding it to deny funding to NGOs that provide abortion care, support LGBTQ+ rights, or promote DEI initiatives, even if they don’t use U.S. dollars to provide this car,” said Rep. Jacobs. U.S. foreign assistance could and should be used to improve people’s lives and promote stability and security – not make health care more inaccessible. That’s why I’m proud to support this bill to roll back Trump’s shortsighted and unpopular move and help deliver U.S. assistance to communities that need it.” “The Trump administration has already compromised U.S. foreign assistance with its obsessive culture war, putting millions of lives at risk by holding health assistance hostage unless partnering nations and programs adopt their far-right agenda,” said Rep. Meeks. Expanding the Global Gag rule to further weaponize U.S. assistance into a broadside on vulnerable communities – including women and girls, the LGTBQI+ community, and anyone this administration deems as “DEI” – undercuts U.S. global leadership, doesn’t make Americans safer or stronger, and will lead to further preventable deaths. This is not who we are as Americans. I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this legislation to roll back these radical changes.” The expanded rules apply to all non-military U.S. foreign assistance, which totaled $39.8 billion in Fiscal Year 2024. Previous versions of the Global Gag Rule were limited to family planning and certain global health funding and applied only to foreign NGOs that provided or discussed abortion services. Experts warn that the expanded policy will further strain an already weakened foreign aid infrastructure, reduce access to essential health services and lead to increased illness and preventable deaths. “No matter where you live, lawmakers should not play politics with people’s freedom, health, and lives,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “President Trump’s expansion of the global gag rule and weaponization of foreign aid endangers countless lives around the world. We’re thankful to Sens. Shaheen and Rosen and Reps. Meng, Frankel, DeGette, Jayapal, Jacobs, and Meeks for introducing this bill, which blocks the policy that disproportionately harms women, girls, young people, and LGBTQI+ people around the world. Planned Parenthood Federation of America will never stop fighting so that everyone, everywhere can get the health care they need.” “Using taxpayer money to export the Trump administration’s anti-trans, anti-science, and anti-abortion ideological agenda isn’t just immoral – it’s antithetical to efficient, effective, and rights-based foreign assistance,” said Beirne Roose-Snyder, Senior Policy Fellow of the Council for Global Equality. “We are grateful to Representatives Meng, Frankel, DeGette, Jayapal, Jacobs and Meeks and Senators Shaheen and Rosen for their leadership in introducing this bill, which would block President Trump’s malicious, so-called ‘Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance’ policy. No one should be forced to choose between receiving U.S. foreign assistance to deliver lifesaving services for some and standing up for public health and the human rights of all, without exception.” “U.S. foreign assistance has long been a strategic investment in a safer, more stable world—reinforcing shared values of freedom, dignity, and human rights. These investments have saved lives and helped build stronger alliances that have enhanced the safety, security, and resilience for Americans as well. The expanded Global Gag Rule weaponizes that assistance to impose an extreme, ideologically driven agenda. It censors experts, restricts care, undermines the sovereignty of foreign countries, and rolls back fundamental human rights,” said Nabeeha Kazi Hutchins, President and CEO of PAI, a global reproductive health organization. “For the first time, this policy reaches across all foreign assistance, silencing U.S. organizations, global partners, and even other governments. It extends beyond U.S.-funded programs to restrict what organizations can do with their own resources, going far beyond abortion to also target gender equality, LGBTQI+ rights, and DEI efforts. This is not evidence-based policy—it is a political attack on health and rights that weakens global stability and security. We are grateful to Representatives Meng, Frankel, DeGette, Jayapal, Jacobs, and Meeks, and Senators Shaheen and Rosen for their leadership to end this harmful policy and ensure U.S. foreign assistance supports global health and development, in line with the longstanding bipartisan values that have guided this work.” “Women and girls around the world are already paying with their lives for the gutting of US aid for sexual and reproductive health, protection from violence, and women’s empowerment and inclusion. Clinics have closed, mothers have died in childbirth, and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence have nowhere to turn,” said Sarah Costa, Women Refugee Committee’s Executive Director. “The expansion of the Global Gag Rule will only further endanger the lives and rights of women and girls around the world. We thank Senators Shaheen and Rosen and Representatives Meng, Frankel, DeGette, Jayapal, Jacobs, and Meeks for their leadership to stop this senseless expansion and fight for the dignity and wellbeing of women and girls. We urge Congress swiftly pass this legislation.” “We applaud Reps. Meng, Frankel, DeGette, Jayapal, Jacobs, and Meeks and Sens. Shaheen and Rosen for introducing legislation to block the global gag rule,” said Amy Friedrich-Karnik, Director of Federal Policy at the Guttmacher Institute. “This discriminatory policy exports extreme abortion restrictions and ideologically driven mandates to countries around the world, undermining access to essential health care and vital services. Guttmacher research has already documented the harms of the policy on patients, health systems, and services, and this expanded version will only deepen those harms. This legislation is a critical step toward countering sweeping efforts to roll back rights globally and to cut off vital resources for the world’s most vulnerable populations, including LGBTQ+ communities around the world.” The bill is led in the Senate by Senators Shaheen, Schumer, Rosen, Murray, Van Hollen, Booker, Coons, Kaine, Baldwin, Hickenlooper, and Duckworth. A copy can be viewed here.