Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
House appropriators advanced an FY25 State-Foreign Operations bill with several anti-abortion riders attached, including an expansion of the so-called Mexico City policy that blocks funding to NGOs that promote or perform abortions overseas.
Why it matters: The move by the full Appropriations Committee on Wednesday was in contrast to the House Ag-FDA subcommittee's decision this week to omit controversial abortion language in its draft bill and stay silent on issues like FDA rules for abortion pills.
What's inside: The State-Foreign Ops bill includes a 12% year-over-year cut in global health funds, per KFF.
- The Trump administration put in place an expanded Mexico City policy, which the Biden administration then rolled back.
- This bill would implement that expanded policy again, which under Trump applied to most global health programs, not just those that participate in family planning.
- The legislation also includes a long-standing amendment prohibiting the use of U.S. foreign assistance funds for abortion.
Even if the expanded Mexico City provision is stripped out of the funding bill later in the legislative process, it could be revived administratively if Trump is elected president again.
- There is also a provision in the draft bill that bans any foreign NGO from receiving funding if it provides gender-affirming care.
- And there's language requiring the secretary of state to submit a report to the Appropriations Committee on the origins of COVID.
Democrats were united in opposition to the bill during the committee markup. It was approved by a vote of 31-26.
