The Trump administration plans to expand rules that restrict U.S. foreign aid for groups supporting abortion-related services to cover additional categories, including international and U.S.-based organizations that promote gender identity and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
An administration official said Thursday that the State Department would release final rules expanding the scope of the “Mexico City” policy. The policy was first established under President Ronald Reagan, rescinded by subsequent Democratic administrations, and reinstated in Trump’s first term.
The changes were first reported by Fox News, and the official spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of publication in the Federal Register on Friday. The official said the expanded policy would halt foreign assistance not only for groups that provide abortion as a method of family planning, but also for those that advocate “gender ideology” and DEI.
The AP report said the change was timed to this week’s anniversary of the now-overturned Roe v. Wade ruling and to anti-abortion activists’ annual March for Life demonstration in Washington. The official said the expanded policy would apply to more than $30 billion in foreign aid that the U.S. provides and would cover not only foreign and U.S.-based aid agencies but also international organizations.
LGBTQ+ and abortion rights advocates said the expanded rules would force humanitarian aid groups and others to choose between U.S. funding and lifesaving services they provide around the world. Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson said in a statement, “The Trump administration’s expanded global gag rule puts politics between people and their care,” and added, “Simply put, the White House is putting medically necessary health care at risk for people all over the world in service to a political agenda.”
Beirne Roose-Snyder, a senior policy fellow at the Council for Global Equality, said, “It’s hard for me to even begin to anticipate how destructive this will be.” Other advocates welcomed the expansion. SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said on a call with reporters that the Trump administration presented the foreign aid change alongside other new actions.
Dannenfelser said those actions included the National Institutes of Health halting funding for research that uses human fetal tissue, and the Small Business Administration launching a review into Planned Parenthood’s use of COVID-era loans. She said, “All of these things are fantastic news.”
The AP report said it was not immediately clear how significant the impact of the foreign aid ban’s expansion would be. The Trump administration has already slashed hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid and dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development, which the report described as the main provider of U.S. assistance, the AP said.
Still, KFF’s Jen Kates said that if the rules are written as expected, “many more billions” of dollars will be affected than in any prior period. The report described the foreign aid change as the latest effort to take aim at DEI programs in the federal government.
The AP reported that the White House reposted a Fox News article on X seemingly confirming the plans, but did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.