President Donald Trump has announced a new policy, “Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance,” which ends the use of U.S. taxpayer funds to support abortion services in other countries. The move was praised by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus.
“President Trump’s new, comprehensive Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance policy is humane, life-affirming, and rejects the culture of death,” said Smith.
The policy will apply conditions to $30 billion in foreign aid, directing funding toward national interests and humanitarian priorities rather than organizations that promote or perform abortions. Smith stated, “It conditions critical funding—$30 billion of foreign aid—to serve our national interest as well as humanitarian and health priorities, instead of bankrolling UN entities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that promote and perform abortion violence.”
Smith further explained his position: “Unborn children and their mothers deserve protection, compassion, and genuine care—not abortion pills that starve the baby to death and harm women, or other violent assaults on the baby, including dismemberment. The new policy represents how foreign assistance should be spent.”
He also criticized former President Joe Biden’s approach: “President Trump’s new policy ends ‘Abortion President’ Joe Biden’s hijacking of global foreign assistance to promote abortion-on-demand around the world, including through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).”
Smith added that U.S. taxpayers would no longer fund NGOs involved with abortion abroad: “The Trump policy also ensures that U.S. taxpayers will not be forced to fund non-government organizations that promote, lobby or perform abortion-on-demand in foreign countries, including in nations protecting unborn children from abortion in law or policy.”
A recent Marist poll shows 69% of Americans oppose using tax dollars for supporting abortions overseas.
Smith emphasized that this change would not reduce total U.S. health assistance abroad but redirect it: “The implementation of President Trump’s ‘Protecting Life’ policy and final rule will not reduce the amount of available U.S. foreign health assistance. Rather, it redirects this funding to support assistance for women and children in-need, provided by organizations that do not promote the abortion-on-demand agenda.”
The “Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance” policy is also known as the Mexico City Policy; it was first introduced by President Ronald Reagan at a United Nations conference in 1984.
In 1985, Smith successfully amended HR 1420 to maintain this policy at the time. During debate he said: “Abortion is a violation of an unborn child’s right to continue living, and should be rejected…”
“President Trump’s historic policy announcement, arriving on the eve of the annual March for Life, will save countless innocent lives,” concluded Smith.
Chris Smith has served as a member of Congress representing New Jersey’s 4th District since 1981 after succeeding Frank Thompson (https://chrissmith.house.gov/biography/). He was born in Rahway, New Jersey in 1953 and currently resides in Manchester Township. Smith graduated from The College of New Jersey with a Bachelor of Science degree.
