Text of US HR 199 (2025)

IV 119TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 199 Condemning woke foreign aid programs. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 6, 2025 Mr. BURCHETT submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Condemning woke foreign aid programs. Whereas the United States spent $2,000,000 on a transgender health grant in Guatemala, awarded in 2024 to Asociacio´n 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 Ses- ame Street, entitled ‘‘Ahlan Simsim’’, funded to support educational programming for children in Iraq, with dis- bursements ongoing; Whereas the United States spent $1,500,000 on diversity, eq- uity, 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, aim- VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:50 Mar 07, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR199.IH HR199 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HRES 199 IH ing to boost LGBTQI+ economic engagement, with about $1,140,000 paid out so far; Whereas the United States spent $45,000,000 on diversity, equity, and inclusion scholarships in Burma, funded to provide diversity, equity, and inclusion-focused edu- cational opportunities, with details on disbursements un- available at this time; Whereas the United States spent $10,000,000 on male cir- cumcision in Mozambique; Whereas the United States spent $250,000 on gender equal- ity workshops in Morocco, through a 2023 Department of State grant to Association Marocaine pour les Droits des Femmes for workshops promoting gender equality and women’s entrepreneurship; Whereas the United States spent $100,000 on a drag HIV awareness campaign in South Africa; Whereas the United States spent $85,000 on a bee conserva- tion musical in Brazil, funded in 2023 to raise awareness about bee conservation through a musical performance in Sa˜o Paulo; Whereas the United States spent $70,000 on an Irish diver- sity, equity, and inclusion musical, funded a ‘‘live musical event’’ in Ireland in 2022 to promote United States-Ire- land shared values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and ac- cessibility, not a full musical, but a concert-style gig at the United States Embassy; Whereas the United States spent $60,000 on indigenous di- versity, equity, and inclusion training in Bolivia, through a 2023 USAID grant for diversity and inclusion work- shops for indigenous leaders in La Paz; VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:50 Mar 07, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR199.IH HR199 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HRES 199 IH 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 sus- tainability; Whereas the United States spent $40,000 on a feminist podcast series in Chile, funded in 2022 by the Depart- ment 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 fund- ing in 2021 to Peru’s Education Department via Ful- bright 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 Bogota´ 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 Bang- kok; Whereas the United States spent $20,000 on drag queen training in Pakistan, funded in 2022 by the Department VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:50 Mar 07, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR199.IH HR199 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HRES 199 IH of State to train drag performers in Pakistan as part of a cultural exchange program; Whereas the United States spent $15,000 on a queer film festival in Ecuador, through a 2024 grant to fund an LGBTQ+ film festival in Quito, Ecuador, for ‘‘public di- plomacy’’; and Whereas the United States spent $10,000 on a queer poetry slam in India, through a 2024 grant for a poetry event in New Delhi celebrating queer voices: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) is firmly opposed to funding these programs 2 and programs like these, viewing them as wasteful 3 expenditures of taxpayer dollars on frivolous or ideo- 4 logically driven initiatives; 5 (2) requests more oversight of Federal aid pro- 6 grams, including a comprehensive audit by the Gov- 7 ernment Accountability Office of all grants awarded 8 by the Department of State and United States 9 Agency for International Development since 2021; 10 (3) urges the immediate suspension of similar 11 discretionary grants pending a review of their align- 12 ment with core national interests and fiscal responsi- 13 bility; 14 (4) demands transparency by mandating public 15 disclosure of all grant applications, justifications, 16 and outcomes on a searchable online database not 17 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:50 Mar 07, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR199.IH HR199 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HRES 199 IH later than 90 days after the date on which such a 1 grant is awarded; 2 (5) recommends redirecting funds from such 3 programs to domestic priorities, including infrastruc- 4 ture repair, veteran health care, or disaster relief ef- 5 forts; 6 (6) encourages the inspector general of each 7 relevant agency to conduct annual reviews of grant 8 efficacy, with findings reported to Congress and 9 made available to the public; 10 (7) proposes a cap on annual spending for cul- 11 tural exchange and advocacy grants abroad, limiting 12 such expenditures to no more than 0.1 percent of 13 the Federal discretionary budget; 14 (8) insists on a requirement that all future 15 grants over $10,000 receive explicit congressional 16 approval via a streamlined review process; and 17 (9) expresses its intent to draft legislation pro- 18 hibiting the use of Federal funds for overseas pro- 19 grams promoting niche social agendas absent a clear 20 and direct benefit to United States national security 21 or economic interests. 22 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:50 Mar 07, 2025 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR199.IH HR199 kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB