IV
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. RES. 199
Condemning woke foreign aid programs.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH6, 2025
Mr. B
URCHETTsubmitted 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