American Values Act
American Values Act
Plain Language Summary
# American Values Act Summary **What the Bill Does** The American Values Act would expand existing restrictions on how the U.S. government uses foreign aid money. Specifically, it would prevent U.S. foreign assistance from being used to pay for or promote abortions and involuntary sterilizations. The bill would also prohibit funding to organizations that support coercive abortion or sterilization programs, and would ban using aid money to lobby on abortion-related issues. Currently, these restrictions apply only to certain foreign aid programs, but this bill would extend them across almost all U.S.
foreign assistance. **Who It Affects** The bill primarily affects international organizations and foreign countries that receive U.S. aid. It would also impact nonprofit organizations working abroad in family planning and health sectors. Domestically, it affects how U.S. foreign policy is conducted, particularly regarding reproductive health assistance. **Current Status** The bill was introduced by Senator James Risch (R-ID) in the 119th Congress and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been debated or voted on by the full Senate. Similar restrictions have been included in appropriations bills in the past, but this bill would make them permanent law rather than annual decisions.
CRS Official Summary
American Values ActThis bill expands restrictions on using U.S. foreign assistance to pay for or promote abortions, involuntary sterilizations, or other related activities.Specifically, the bill expands existing prohibitions, including prohibitions against using foreign assistance to pay for abortions or involuntary sterilization for family planning, to apply to all assistance provided under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA). (Currently, these prohibitions apply to only certain parts of the FAA.)Furthermore, assistance provided under the FAA may not be made available to (1) pay for lobbying for or against abortion, or (2) any organization that supports a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization. (These prohibitions have typically been in appropriations acts, but the bill would make the prohibitions a permanent part of the FAA.)The bill also makes permanent a prohibition against using funds made available to the Peace Corps to pay for abortions except when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest or when the life of the mother would be endangered if the fetus were carried to term.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.