Confronted with almost $200 million in wild spending by the U.S. Agency for International Development — such as $2 million for sex change and “LGBT activism” in Guatemala — congressional Democrats said it was just a lame excuse to cut off foreign aid.
The Democrats would not voice support for spending taxpayer dollars on transgender operas, “DEI musicals” and promotion of LGBT causes around the world. Instead, they said they didn’t believe it.
“I’d like to see the evidence,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts told The Washington Times when asked about her stance on USAID’s culture war activism.
Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia chalked it up to “mis- and disinformation” from the White House.
“Even if what you say is true, it makes up such a minute portion of federal taxpayer dollars,” he said, insisting that his constituents support U.S. foreign aid. “The value of the expenditures outweighs by far any mistakes that may have been made in terms of individual line items.”
Mr. Johnson and several of his fellow Democrats said the benefits of “soft power” of foreign aid make it all worthwhile.
Democrats have been outraged by President Trump’s moves to shutter USAID after Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency revealed the wild spending.
The questionable programs bankrolled by USAID included roughly $75 million spent on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in foreign countries.
Those projects included:
• $16.8 million to support equitable outcomes in inclusion in Vietnam.
• $7.9 million to teach Sri Lankan journalists to avoid “binary-gender language.”
• $6.3 million to study men having sex with other men in South Africa.
$6 million to advance LGBTQ principles in “priority countries around the world.”
• $5.5 million to promote LGBTQ causes in Uganda.
• $3.9 million to promote LGBTQ causes in Western Balkans.
• $2.5 million to promote inclusion in Vietnam.
• $2 million for sex changes and LBGTQ “activism” and sex changes in Guatemala.
• $1.5 million to advance DEI in Serbian workplaces.
USAID also spent millions to promote transgenderism through various media outlets including using $47,000 to produce a transgender opera in Colombia, $32,000 for a transgender opera in Columbia, $70,000 for a “DEI-themed musical” in Ireland and $32,000 for a “transgender comic book” in Peru.
On another front, nearly $10 million of USAID’s food aid was diverted to al Qaeda-linked terrorist groups in Syria.
On Capitol Hill, Democrats called the plans to gut USAID’s spending “unconstitutional” and “illegal.” They also introduced legislation in the House to prevent the agency’s elimination.
The lawmakers said the good done by USAID far outweighs any liberal activism or risqué musicals financed by U.S. taxpayers.
Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois said the questionable spending doesn’t add up to all that much money.
“They are looking for reasons for us to stop what I think is essentially really useful for the United States of America,” she said. “I don’t know that I would defend all of the programs or not, but overall, this has just been a fantastic thing that the United States does, and I support it.”
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.