1. United States
2. Mich.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to encourage your constituents to submit public comments opposing the Trump administration's new rule titled "Combating Gender Ideology in Foreign Assistance," published Monday in the Federal Register. This rule threatens more than $30 billion in U.S. foreign aid and will go into effect 30 days after publication unless significant opposition is registered during the comment period. This rule goes far beyond the Mexico City Policy by conditioning funding for hospital clinics, HIV/AIDS programs, and educational institutions on sweeping restrictions that ban not only gender-affirming care but also counseling, social transition, and even providing information that such care exists as an option. The restrictions apply to adults and youth alike, and include pass-through requirements forcing downstream organizations to adopt these policies or lose funding entirely. The practical impact is severe. Clinics serving HIV/AIDS patients, which often provide LGBTQ+ health care, would face impossible choices between serving their communities and maintaining U.S. support. Schools in countries receiving U.S. assistance would be forced to adopt anti-transgender policies. As Keifer Buckingham of the Council for Global Equality stated, this represents "weaponizing U.S. foreign assistance to promote an ideological agenda." This rule was not passed by Congress. It bypasses the legislative process entirely, using federal rulemaking to impose restrictions that lack democratic mandate. The administration is using foreign aid policy as a testing ground for restrictions on adult transgender health care and social transition that it hopes to eventually pursue domestically. Your constituents deserve to know their voices can still matter in this process. Public comment is one of the few remaining checks on executive overreach of this magnitude. I ask that you use your platform to inform constituents about this comment period and encourage participation. The administration should not be allowed to export discriminatory policies abroad without accountability to the American people.