[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H. Res. 199 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 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 Asociacion 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 Sao 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 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 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 Resolved, 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. <all>