Hill Country Chronicle

Reps. Chip Roy and Marjorie Taylor Greene have introduced a bill aimed at permanently abolishing the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The proposed legislation seeks to immediately cease taxpayer funding to USAID and recover any grant funds not yet distributed.

Congressman Roy expressed his support for the initiative, stating, "I am very proud to work with Rep. MTG and co-lead this legislative effort to permanently eliminate USAID. I am pleased that the rot and corruption is finally getting the attention and action it deserves from the Trump administration, but Congress needs to back this effort up and end this problem permanently. With $36 trillion in debt, we have to get our fiscal House in order; but we can start right now with getting rid of USAID."

Congresswoman Greene also commented on the bill, saying, "Thank you to Chip Roy co-leading our bill to abolish USAID, the Democrats’ taxpayer-funded slush fund used to push their radical agenda at home and abroad. As Chairwoman of the DOGE Subcommittee, I’ve launched the War on Waste—and USAID is a major culprit lighting over $40 BILLION on fire each year. It’s time to do what DOGE does best: cut the waste."

The legislation has garnered support from 13 original co-sponsors including Reps. Eli Crane, Andy Ogles, Ralph Norman, Brandon Gill, Diana Harshbarger, Josh Brecheen, Eric Burlison, Scott Perry, Greg Steube, Thomas Massie, Lauren Boebert, and William Timmons.

Critics of USAID spending have pointed out several examples they consider wasteful. These include funding projects such as advancing diversity equity in Serbia's workplaces ($1.5 million), producing a DEI musical in Ireland ($70,000), purchasing electric vehicles for Vietnam ($2.5 million), supporting a transgender opera in Colombia ($47,000), creating a transgender comic book in Peru ($32,000), financing sex changes and LGBT activism in Guatemala ($2 million), promoting tourism in Egypt ($6 million), supporting non-profits linked to terrorist organizations even after investigations were launched against them by an inspector general.

Other controversial expenditures cited involve millions given to EcoHealth Alliance connected with research at Wuhan lab; meals provided inadvertently benefiting al Qaeda-affiliated fighters; personalized contraceptive devices distributed within developing countries; substantial investments into irrigation systems alongside farming tools contributing towards poppy cultivation heroin production aiding Taliban operations Afghanistan.