While some say money through USAID has been funding anti-democratic practices, one witness say China benefits whenever American foreign aid is withdrawn.
WASHINGTON—House Oversight Delivering on Government Efficiency Subcommittee Chair Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and her GOP colleagues on the panel cited examples at Wednesday’s hearing of how foreign aid undermines U.S. interests abroad as Democrats sought to focus the discussion on Elon Musk, leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The contrast between the two parties’ perspectives on whether U.S. foreign aid, especially as distributed by USAID, helps or hurts American overseas objectives was clear from the opening statements by Greene and Ranking Member Rep. Angela Stansbury (D-N.M.).
“After hundreds of billions of U.S. taxpayers’ dollars have been distributed throughout the world, has the world become safer? No,” Greene said in her statement. “Has the world become more stable? No. Is the perception of the United States around the globe any better? No.
“But have some of the most anti-democratic principles like censorship and the canceling of elections been funded through USAID because of opposition to the ruling regimes? Yes. Has money through USAID been funneled to terrorists? Yes.”
To illustrate the allegations, Greene cited multiple examples that were amplified by three of the four witnesses who gave testimony.
Stansbury then alleged that the hearing was “designed to confuse and to provide cover for Donald Trump and Elon Musk in their reckless gutting of our foreign aid [and] their re-ordering of international affairs.”
Greene and Stansbury’s opening statements set the pattern for the remainder of the two-hour hearing, including the five-minute questioning period each member of the panel had to address the four witnesses.
Republicans, in posing their questions, repeatedly cited examples of USAID sending tax dollars to overseas groups with links to Islamic terrorist outfits, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and al-Qaeda.
And just as often, Democrats responded in some manner that mentioned Musk, whose DOGE aims to reduce federal spending and eliminate identified waste and fraud by auditing government agencies.
Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), after noting that foreign aid represents about 1 percent of the federal budget, closed his questioning of witnesses by declaring that Democrats will “push back every single time” Musk’s cost-cutting efforts affect federal programs and policies.
Asked by Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), for example, if he was aware that “we are sending $40 million a week to the Taliban” in Afghanistan, Middle East Forum (MEF) Executive Director Gregg Roman responded affirmatively, then listed nearly a dozen other examples of USAID funding going to terrorist groups in Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Gaza.
