The State Department has moved forward with a massive funding push, obligating over $175 million in grants just hours before the fiscal year deadline. This latest development comes despite significant pushback from Congress and concerns regarding how these taxpayer funds are being allocated. According to a source familiar with the negotiations, the department pushed these awards through on Wednesday, effectively bypassing congressional holds that had been placed on the funding, The Guardian reports.
The grants in question, which comprise a large portion of the $205 million Human Rights and Democracy Fund, are shifting the focus of American foreign aid. Instead of the traditional support for human rights defenders, the list now includes projects that explicitly target Western civilizational norms, anti-communism, and opposition to migration.
