Sponsors (4)
The bill prioritizes using U.S. World Bank influence to pressure Burma's junta while preserving executive flexibility to resume funding, trading increased leverage against the junta for risks of reduced aid to civilians, higher costs for U.S. programs/taxpayers, and potential diplomatic strain.
U.S. taxpayers and national-security stakeholders: The U.S. will use its World Bank votes to maintain a halt on loans to Burma, applying economic pressure on the military junta by restricting development financing.
U.S. policymakers and taxpayers: Gives the Treasury Secretary discretion to resume World Bank financing if doing so would serve U.S. national interests, preserving flexibility to re-engage when advantageous.
Low-income Burmese civilians: Restricting World Bank financing could reduce humanitarian and development assistance reaching people who rely on Bank-funded projects, worsening humanitarian needs.
U.S. taxpayers and humanitarian programs: Maintaining the pause on World Bank lending could shift costs for addressing crises in Burma onto U.S. humanitarian programs, NGOs, and American taxpayers.
U.S. diplomatic relations and multilateral coordination: Using U.S. votes to block financing may strain relations with other donor countries and complicate coordinated international responses.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs Treasury to instruct the U.S. Executive Director at the World Bank to continue the Bank’s pause on disbursements and new financing to the Government of Burma unless the Secretary finds doing so contrary to U.S. national interest.
Directs the Treasury Secretary to tell the U.S. Executive Director at the World Bank (IBRD) to continue using the United States’ voice and vote to keep the Bank’s pause on disbursements and new financing to the Government of Burma that began after the 2021 military coup. The pause would remain in place unless the Treasury Secretary determines that continuing it is not in the national interest. The law only provides that instruction to the U.S. representative at the IBRD and does not itself create new sanctions, appropriate funds, or change other statutes; it formalizes a policy direction for U.S. participation in World Bank decisions about lending to Burma (Myanmar).
Official title: To continue the pause on disbursements and new financing commitments to the Government of Burma.
Introduced July 15, 2025 by Nikema Williams · Last progress December 2, 2025