The State Department has instructed U.S. posts around the world to conduct comprehensive reviews of the foreign aid programs they administer to confirm adherence to newly expanded restrictions on funding.
A State Department cable dated Wednesday directs bureaus and overseas missions to begin assessing projects under their purview and to consider designating a focal point or assembling a dedicated "tiger team" to manage compliance with the updated rules. The directive makes clear the new restrictions will be incorporated into any new grants and cooperative agreements, and attached to existing projects when fresh funding is provided.
The expansion broadens the scope of the Mexico City Policy - sometimes referred to by opponents as the "global gag rule" - which historically focused on constraining funding for abortion-related activities. Under this revision, the prohibition now extends to groups that carry out programs related to diversity, equity and inclusion; gender identity and transgender rights; as well as traditional family planning and abortion-related services, according to the cable.
The administration has said the adjustments enlarge the volume of foreign aid subject to these conditions to about $30 billion and extend prohibitions to a wider set of organizations, explicitly including U.S.-based groups. The cable notes that, for foreign non-governmental organizations, the ban will apply not only to the use of U.S. aid but also to funds provided by non-U.S. donors for the newly proscribed activities - a narrower restriction than prior practice, which limited the prohibition to U.S. assistance.
Specific activities flagged in the cable as disallowed include providing or promoting abortion as a method of family planning; promoting what the guidance characterizes as "gender ideology"; advancing "discriminatory equity ideology"; engaging in unlawful diversity, equity and inclusion-related discrimination; or providing financial support to other organizations engaged in these activities.
Implementation is scheduled to begin on February 26. The cable anticipates that some organizations will choose not to comply and will decline U.S. funding rather than alter their programs. To track such decisions, the communication included an internal contact point for posts to report organizations that opt out.
To limit disruptions to critical operations, the cable states that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will have the authority to grant limited waivers. Those waivers are intended to prevent the new requirements from "unduly disrupt[ing] ongoing lifesaving programming, disaster response, and other critical priorities," the guidance says.
Operational guidance and diplomatic talking points
The cable advises posts to begin practical preparations for compliance and recommends identifying teams or individuals to coordinate the review process. It also provides talking points for diplomats to deploy when discussing the changes with partners.
Those talking points frame the initiative as part of an overhaul of U.S. foreign assistance aimed at concentrating resources on programs that "effectively and efficiently save lives, support allies, and create commercial opportunities that benefit the American economy." The guidance further instructs diplomats to describe programs rooted in what it calls "divisive social causes, globalism, and other radical ideologies" as outside the scope of the administration's restructured foreign assistance architecture.
Reactions from the aid community
Groups working in the global aid sector have reacted strongly to the expansion. Representatives from civil society and humanitarian organizations warn that the policy will further strain a sector already coping with significant upheaval following prior administrative decisions that reshaped U.S. foreign assistance structures.
Cristal Downing, project director for gender and conflict at the International Crisis Group, said the policy had already imposed heavy administrative burdens on organizations, including those operating in conflict zones, and had harmed civil society efforts such as women’s rights work. Downing described the expansion as an effort at "global social engineering" and a continuation of what she called a "slash and burn strategy" that began with last year’s aid cuts. She warned the changes will affect safe spaces for survivors of gender-based violence, initiatives to boost women’s participation in peacebuilding, and other programs focused on gender equality.
Context and administration actions
The cable follows a broader set of policy moves affecting U.S. foreign assistance. The administration eliminated the federal government’s primary foreign aid agency, USAID, after taking office last year, an action the cable says contributed to uncertainty in the global aid sector. The administration has also taken steps to close programs related to diversity initiatives and to shift approaches on acceptance of transgender people, the guidance notes.
The expanded Mexico City Policy was restored by the current administration a year ago and has now been widened further, with the expansion publicly announced by Vice President JD Vance at a March For Life rally in Washington, the cable says.
Implementation uncertainties
The guidance acknowledges several potential points of disruption: some organizations are expected to decline U.S. funds rather than alter programming; the enforcement of restrictions on non-U.S. donor funds for foreign NGOs creates new compliance challenges; and limited waivers will be available but are intended to be narrow in scope to avoid significant interruption of lifesaving efforts.
As posts begin to identify focal points and form teams to manage the transition, the degree to which humanitarian operations, gender-focused programming, and civil society activities will be affected remains subject to how many organizations opt out and how waivers are applied.
Washington has provided internal channels for missions to report decisions by recipient organizations to decline aid under the new terms, and has instructed posts to incorporate the policy into future funding instruments. The full operational impact will depend on compliance decisions by partner organizations and the scope of any waivers granted by the Secretary of State.