Changes to the Mexico City Policy tighten rules limiting federal foreign aid for entities that provide or promote abortion, and expand the ban to cover promotion of DEI and other Trump administration concerns.
"We support robust funding for authentic lifesaving and life-affirming foreign assistance," the bishop-chairs of three US bishops' committees announced in a statement shared on January 30, 2026. They were responding to the recent publication of new federal rules expanding the so-called "Mexico City policy."
The policy was enacted during the Reagan years and reaffirmed by subsequent Republication administrations. It limits federal foreign aid funds for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that perform or promote abortion. During Democratic presidencies, the Policy is usually flip-flopped.
The bishops' statement came from Edward J. Burns (Dallas) of the Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth; Bishop Daniel E. Thomas (Toledo) of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities; and Bishop A. Elias Zaidan (Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, Los Angeles) of the Committee on International Justice and Peace.
The new rules, announced by Vice President JD Vance at the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., on January 22, 2026, greatly expand the limitations on federal aid funding around abortion, applying the ban to almost all aid funding, not just funds earmarked for health assistance. The rule prohibiting promotion of abortion will now apply to international organizations, such as the UN, that cross borders in their work.
Beyond abortion policy
In addition, new rules will extend the prohibition on promoting abortion to other areas of Trump administration concern, such as mention of LGBTQ+ issues and language or policies deemed to promote diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI).
"We believe that every country in the world has the duty to protect life," the Vice President said in his announcement. "We're expanding this policy to protect life, to combat DEI and the radical gender ideologies that prey on our children."
The specific language and enforcement procedures for the new rules -- referred to collectively by the administration as the Promoting Human Flourishing in Foreign Assistance (PHFFA) Policy -- have not yet been released.
While reacting positively to the announcement of the new rules, the three bishop-chairs included a caveat reminding the administration of the need to protect the human dignity of each person and avoid the harm caused by discrimination.
The full statement is here:
God entrusts us with a responsibility to share our blessings to help preserve the lives and dignity of our brothers and sisters in need. We support robust funding for authentic lifesaving and life-affirming foreign assistance and applaud new policies that prevent taxpayer dollars from going to organizations that engage in ideological colonization and promote abortion or gender ideology overseas. We also call for the implementation of any related policies to be carried out in a manner that recognizes the inherent dignity of every human person and does not harm those who are racially or ethnically marginalized.
