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U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Bowling Green, has been joined by nine of his GOP colleagues in introducing the American Values Act, which would permanently enact and expand existing prohibitions on the use of U.S. foreign assistance to pay for the performance or promotion of abortion services overseas.

“No American taxpayer should be forced to fund abortions overseas,” Paul said. “It’s bad enough that Washington spends recklessly at home, but using taxpayer dollars to promote abortion abroad is an insult to both life and fiscal responsibility. This legislation is a necessary step towards reigning in wasteful spending and standing for the fundamental right to life.”

If enacted, this legislation would:

–Clarify that existing prohibitions on the use of U.S. foreign assistance to pay for the performance or promotion of abortions, forced sterilizations, or biomedical research relating to abortions or forced sterilizations shall apply to all assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act.

–Permanently enact long-standing appropriations restrictions on the use of foreign assistance funds to lobby for or against abortion.

–Permanently enact long-standing appropriations restrictions on the provision of foreign assistance funds to organizations that support or participate in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization.

–Permanently enact long-standing appropriations restrictions on the use of funds made available to the Peace Corps to pay for abortions.

Sen. Jim Risch, R-ID, one of the primary co-sponsors, noted, “American foreign aid should always be used in a way that is in line with American values- and that means that no foreign assistance funds should ever be used to perform or promote abortion services. I’m proud to introduce the American Values Act with my colleagues to hold our government accountable to this standard and protect the sanctity of life across the globe.”