S. 239: American Values Act
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S. 239: American Values Act
117th Congress · introduced 2021-02-04 · International Affairs · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2021-02-04 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
American Values Act
Plain summary
American Values Act This bill expands and makes permanent certain restrictions that prohibit the use of U.S. foreign assistance to pay for the performance or promotion of abortion services overseas. Current law generally prohibits the use of foreign assistance for abortions through language included in appropriations bills. This bill specifically prohibits the use of any funds under the Foreign Assistance Act for (1) abortions or involuntary sterilization as methods of family planning, or (2) biomedical research that relates to these practices as methods of family planning. In addition, the bill makes permanent prohibitions on the use of such funds to (1) lobby for or against abortion, or (2) fund any organization or program that supports or participates in coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization. The bill also makes permanent a prohibition on the use of funds made available to the Peace Corps to pay for abortions.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
What a vote does
A “Yea” vote
If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.
A “Nay” vote
If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.
PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).
What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
American Values Act
Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
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Alternatives
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID] · 6 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Todd Young (R-IN), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Thom Tillis (R-NC)
Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID] reported raising $3.9 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (2)
- Appropriation
- Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
- Bill
- A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-117s239.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/s>
Record fed-us-cong117-s239 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117