The Trump admin hit the ground running. But one Senator’s discovered something disturbing.
That’s why the U.S. Senate sent the Secretary of State an eyebrow-raising letter.
Sen. Jim Banks Calls for Investigation into MCC’s Foreign Aid Tied to Abortion Advocacy
Republican Senator Jim Banks of Indiana is urging U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to investigate allegations that a government agency has been pressuring foreign nations to adopt abortion rights in exchange for American aid. Banks is particularly concerned about the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) foreign aid practices, which he argues have been used to promote pro-abortion policies under the Biden administration.
In a letter sent to the State Department on Thursday, Banks asked Rubio to “complete a thorough investigation” into the MCC’s alleged abortion advocacy. This request comes amid claims that the MCC, which administers U.S. foreign aid to the world’s poorest countries, used its financial leverage to push for abortion legislation in Sierra Leone. “Holding assistance hostage for the sake of pressuring another nation to adopt pro-abortion legislation is shameful and wrong,” Banks wrote in the letter, which was first reported on by the Daily Caller. “It is unconscionable that the United States has used the MCC to threaten the Sierra Leonean’s protection for the unborn.”
The allegations center around a threat reportedly made to Sierra Leone by the MCC regarding a $480 million aid package. The funds, signed in September 2024, were intended to help the West African country improve its energy infrastructure. However, according to Banks, the MCC conditioned the aid on Sierra Leone passing pro-abortion legislation.
The legislation in question, the “Safe Motherhood Act,” is currently being considered by Sierra Leone’s parliament. The bill would legalize abortion up to 14 weeks without restrictions, and permit abortion up to birth in cases where the mental health of the mother is at risk. Under current law, abortion in Sierra Leone is only allowed when the life of the mother is at stake.
Banks is particularly concerned that the United States is using its aid leverage to influence policy in a predominantly Muslim nation—nearly 80% of Sierra Leone’s population is Muslim, according to the CIA World Factbook. The senator also emphasized that such actions could undermine the sovereignty of foreign nations, especially those that choose to protect the unborn through legislation.
Calls for Accountability and Reaffirming Support for the Unborn
In his letter to Rubio, Banks urged the State Department to not only investigate the specific actions taken by the MCC but also reaffirm the United States’ commitment to supporting the protection of the unborn in foreign nations. He called on the Secretary of State to make it clear that U.S. aid will not be used as a tool to force pro-abortion policies onto other countries.
In addition to his concerns over the alleged threat to Sierra Leone, Banks also raised questions about the role of Freedom House, a left-wing nonprofit, in the MCC’s evaluation process. According to Banks, the MCC used Freedom House’s analysis to assess whether Sierra Leone met the criteria for receiving foreign aid. The nonprofit is known for evaluating the “political rights” and “civil liberties” of nations around the world, and it reportedly gave Sierra Leone passing marks for these indicators in fiscal year 2024.
Banks pointed out that Freedom House, which once supported the legal right to an abortion in the U.S., lowered its “Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights” score for the United States following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022. The ruling ended the federal constitutional right to an abortion and returned the issue to the states.
The MCC was established by Congress in 2004 with the goal of providing foreign aid to the world’s poorest nations to help them improve their economic and social conditions. Since its creation, the agency has allocated billions of dollars to support projects ranging from infrastructure development to health care.
In light of the allegations, Senator Banks is calling for a full investigation into the MCC’s practices and whether its foreign aid programs are being used to impose American political agendas on other countries. His concerns come amid broader debates about the use of U.S. foreign aid to promote specific policies abroad.
President Donald Trump implemented a 90-day freeze on foreign aid on January 20, which exempted “core life-saving programs” related to food, medicine, and shelter. Trump also revoked the Mexico City Policy, which had restricted U.S. taxpayer dollars from being used to fund foreign organizations that provide abortions.
Be sure to stay tuned in with the Federalist Wire for any response from the office of the Secretary of State.
