March 6, 2025
Mr. Burchett submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Condemning woke foreign aid programs.
Whereas the United States spent $2,000,000 on a transgender health grant in Guatemala, awarded in 2024 to Asociación Lambda for gender-affirming health care
, plus economic empowerment and advocacy for trans-led groups, with $350,000 disbursed so far;
Whereas the United States spent $20,000,000 on Iraqi Sesame Street, entitled Ahlan Simsim
, funded to support educational programming for children in Iraq, with disbursements ongoing;
Whereas the United States spent $1,500,000 on diversity, equity, and inclusion workplace programs in Serbia, a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) grant from 2023 to 2024 to Grupa Izadji to push diversity, equity, and inclusion in workplaces, aiming to boost LGBTQI+ economic engagement, with about $1,140,000 paid out so far;
Whereas the United States spent $45,000,000 on diversity, equity, and inclusion scholarships in Burma, funded to provide diversity, equity, and inclusion-focused educational opportunities, with details on disbursements unavailable at this time;
Whereas the United States spent $10,000,000 on male circumcision in Mozambique;
Whereas the United States spent $250,000 on gender equality workshops in Morocco, through a 2023 Department of State grant to Association Marocaine pour les Droits des Femmes for workshops promoting gender equality and women’s entrepreneurship;
Whereas the United States spent $100,000 on a drag HIV awareness campaign in South Africa;
Whereas the United States spent $85,000 on a bee conservation musical in Brazil, funded in 2023 to raise awareness about bee conservation through a musical performance in São Paulo;
Whereas the United States spent $70,000 on an Irish diversity, equity, and inclusion musical, funded a live musical event
in Ireland in 2022 to promote United States-Ireland shared values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, not a full musical, but a concert-style gig at the United States Embassy;
Whereas the United States spent $60,000 on indigenous diversity, equity, and inclusion training in Bolivia, through a 2023 USAID grant for diversity and inclusion workshops for indigenous leaders in La Paz;
Whereas the United States spent $50,000 on vegan cooking classes in Kenya, and USAID funded this 2023 program to teach plant-based cooking in Nairobi to promote sustainability;
Whereas the United States spent $40,000 on a feminist podcast series in Chile, funded in 2022 by the Department of State for a podcast on feminist issues in Santiago;
Whereas the United States spent $32,000 on a transgender comic book in Peru, through Department of State funding in 2021 to Peru’s Education Department via Fulbright for The Power of Education
, a comic featuring an LGBTQ+ hero tackling social and mental health issues;
Whereas the United States spent $30,000 on a trans youth art exhibit in Vietnam, through a 2022 Department of State grant for an art exhibit by transgender youth in Ho Chi Minh City;
Whereas the United States spent $25,000 on a transgender opera in Colombia, through a Department of State grant in 2022 to Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá for As One
, an opera about a transgender woman’s coming-of-age story, framed as public diplomacy (total project $47,020 with non-Federal funds);
Whereas the United States spent $25,000 on a transgender fashion show in Thailand, through a 2024 grant for a fashion show featuring transgender designers in Bangkok;
Whereas the United States spent $20,000 on drag queen training in Pakistan, funded in 2022 by the Department of State to train drag performers in Pakistan as part of a cultural exchange program;
Whereas the United States spent $15,000 on a queer film festival in Ecuador, through a 2024 grant to fund an LGBTQ+ film festival in Quito, Ecuador, for public diplomacy
; and
Whereas the United States spent $10,000 on a queer poetry slam in India, through a 2024 grant for a poetry event in New Delhi celebrating queer voices: Now, therefore, be it
That the House of Representatives—
(1)
is firmly opposed to funding these programs and programs like these, viewing them as wasteful expenditures of taxpayer dollars on frivolous or ideologically driven initiatives;
(2)
requests more oversight of Federal aid programs, including a comprehensive audit by the Government Accountability Office of all grants awarded by the Department of State and United States Agency for International Development since 2021;
(3)
urges the immediate suspension of similar discretionary grants pending a review of their alignment with core national interests and fiscal responsibility;
(4)
demands transparency by mandating public disclosure of all grant applications, justifications, and outcomes on a searchable online database not later than 90 days after the date on which such a grant is awarded;
(5)
recommends redirecting funds from such programs to domestic priorities, including infrastructure repair, veteran health care, or disaster relief efforts;
(6)
encourages the inspector general of each relevant agency to conduct annual reviews of grant efficacy, with findings reported to Congress and made available to the public;
(7)
proposes a cap on annual spending for cultural exchange and advocacy grants abroad, limiting such expenditures to no more than 0.1 percent of the Federal discretionary budget;
(8)
insists on a requirement that all future grants over $10,000 receive explicit congressional approval via a streamlined review process; and
(9)
expresses its intent to draft legislation prohibiting the use of Federal funds for overseas programs promoting niche social agendas absent a clear and direct benefit to United States national security or economic interests.