Bowling Green Today

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Mike Lee (R-UT) have introduced the Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act, aiming to ensure that foreign aid does not support or promote abortions overseas. The legislation seeks to prevent taxpayer dollars from being used for overseas abortions.

According to Dr. Paul, "No taxpayer dollar should be used to fund abortion overseas. This bill is a step toward reining in foreign spending while also protecting life." Senator Lee echoed these sentiments, stating, "Each human life, born and unborn, has immeasurable dignity and worth. The lives of both an unborn baby and her mother matter; and healthcare should heal, protect, and preserve both their lives."

The Mexico City Policy, established by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, initially prohibited family planning foreign assistance funds from going to organizations that provide or promote abortions or advocate for changing abortion laws in foreign countries. However, this policy has been rescinded and reinstated with changing administrations.

Under the Trump Administration, the policy was rebranded as the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance (PLGHA) policy, which applied to all global health assistance, foreign nonprofits, and NGOs. The Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act seeks to permanently codify an expanded version of the PLGHA policy into law. This legislation would encompass all assistance provided to foreign or domestic nonprofits, NGOs, and multilateral organizations.

The Trump-era policy was later rescinded by President Biden in 2021, potentially allowing American citizens to be complicit in overseas abortions under the guise of "foreign assistance." The introduction of the Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act by Sens. Paul and Lee aims to prevent this from happening and affirm the dignity of unborn human lives worldwide.

The legislation has garnered support from several other senators, including Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Ted Budd (R-NC), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and many more who have cosponsored the bill.

The Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act is an important step in ensuring that taxpayer dollars are not used to fund abortions overseas. By codifying the expanded version of the PLGHA policy into law, Congress can protect the lives of the unborn and uphold the dignity and worth of every human life.