{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.budd.senate.gov/2026/06/23/budd-leads-bill-to-codify-trump-admin-policy-eliminating-u-s-foreign-aid-funding-for-abortion-dei-gender-ideology/", "Budd Leads Bill to Codify Trump Admin Policy Eliminating U.S. Foreign Aid Funding for Abortion, DEI & Gender Ideology", "2026-06-23", "2026", "2026-06", "Republican", "Senate", "NC", "Ted Budd", "B001305", "www.budd.senate.gov", "budd", "https://www.budd.senate.gov/category/news/press-releases/page/", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Ted Budd (R-N.C.) introduced the Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Act today to codify the Trump Administration\u2019s Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance (PHFFA) Policy. This legislation would reinstate and expand Mexico City Policy by preventing U.S. foreign assistance from being used to fund abortion or the promotion of abortion, discriminatory equity ideology (DEI), and radical gender ideology.\n\n\u201cU.S. foreign assistance programs have been exploited as a loophole to promote far-left, radical ideology on the dime of American taxpayers for far too long. Future administrations must not be permitted to spend millions of taxpayer dollars on programs funding abortion, DEI, and gender ideology abroad. Our country\u2019s foreign assistance priorities should benefit our national security and strengthen our relationship with allies and partners\u2014not advance a politically driven checklist of radical agenda items,\u201d said Senator Budd.\n\n\u201cTax dollars should never be used to perform or promote abortion services, or to fund the promotion of radical gender ideology and divisive DEI programs in the U.S. or abroad. Unfortunately, activist groups continue attempting to exploit loopholes and undermine long-standing protections put in place by Congress. American taxpayers should not be forced to bankroll ideological agendas that do not reflect our values,\u201d said Chairman Risch.\n\n\u201cAmerican foreign assistance should reflect American values. This legislation would keep taxpayers from supporting abortion or left-wing social programs and would focus our foreign aid on those who need it the most,\u201d said Senator Wicker.\n\n\u201cThe Trump administration has taken decisive action to ensure U.S. foreign aid does not fund abortion, DEI, or radical gender ideology, and we need to make these critical policies permanent. The Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Act would close loopholes to ensure that American tax dollars promote American values and interests, not wokeness abroad,\u201d said Senator Blackburn.\n\n\u201cU.S. foreign assistance is one way we ensure American values prevail around the world. Under the Biden and Obama Administrations, foreign assistance programs failed to align with American interests. This allowed U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund abortions globally. This is unacceptable. Our legislation will protect our taxpayer dollars from funding the radical left\u2019s political agenda in other countries,\u201d said Senator Ricketts.\n\n\u201cAmerican taxpayers should never be forced to fund abortions or radical gender ideology, whether in the United States or abroad. I\u2019ve consistently highlighted this kind of wasteful spending, and this bill codifies the Trump administration\u2019s Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance policy, so these protections endure beyond any single administration. US foreign assistance should reflect American values, not undermine them,\u201d said Senator Lankford.\n\n\u201cThe right to life is the most fundamental right of all and should be protected both in America and across the globe. I\u2019m glad to work with Senator Budd and our colleagues on this bill to ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars are never used to fund abortions abroad,\u201d said Senator Daines.\n\nU.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and Jim Justice (R-W.Va.) joined in introducing the legislation.\n\nThe Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Act is supported by Susan B. Anthony (SBA) Pro-Life America, Concerned Women for America (CWA), National Right to Life, Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), Eagle Forum, and American Principles Project (APP).\n\nRead the full bill text HERE.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nUnder PHFFA (Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance, Combating Gender Ideology in Foreign Assistance, Combating Discriminatory Equity Ideology in Foreign Assistance), the Trump Administration has already identified many U.S. foreign assistance programs, paid for with taxpayer dollars, that are funding abortion, DEI, and gender ideology through global health, humanitarian, and development aid. These so-called \u201cdemocracy promotion activities\u201d undermine American values and weaken the perception of America abroad.\n\nIllegal use of the President\u2019s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to pay for abortions in Mozambique.\n\nFunding for the New Alliance for Global Equality to advance \u201cglobal LGBTQI+ awareness.\u201d\n\nFunding to promote \u201cdemocracy\u201d for LGBTQI+ populations in the Western Balkans.\n\nFunding to an organization in Guatemala to, among other things, \u201cstrengthen trans-led organizations to deliver gender-affirming health care.\u201d\n\nThe Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance Act would close loopholes in previous iterations of the Mexico City Policy by:\n\nExpanding Covered Entities: Covers U.S. NGOs, international organizations, and foreign governments and parastatals in addition to foreign NGOs.\n\nExpanding Covered Activities: Covers the promotion of DEI and gender ideology in addition to abortion and the promotion of abortion.\n\nExpanding Covered Foreign Assistance: Covers most non-military foreign assistance, not just global health assistance.\n\nProviding for a Waiver: Permits the Secretary of State to waive provisions of this bill in certain circumstances.\n\n###", 1, "2026-06-24T06:25:30Z", "2026-06-24T06:26:49Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.budd.senate.gov/2026/06/23/budd-leads-bill-to-codify-trump-admin-policy-eliminating-u-s-foreign-aid-funding-for-abortion-dei-gender-ideology/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9169219993054867, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}