Email from Rep. McCaul Oversight of Taxpayer Dollars & Restoring USAID’s Core Mission As the world grows more dangerous, we must ensure every dollar of American foreign assistance is used effectively to advance our national interests. During this week’s House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, I called for urgent reforms at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to refocus it on its core mission: countering our adversaries and stabilizing fragile nations that breed terrorism. When I was chairman of the committee last Congress, the Biden administration’s State Department notified me of many wasteful programs — both within USAID and the State Department. As chairman, I put “holds” on those programs, which meant the administration should have stopped their efforts to fund these initiatives. But they were so committed to their woke causes, they blew through my holds and spent the money anyway — bucking longstanding tradition. For example, the administration spent $1.5 million encouraging LGBTQ immigrants in Latin America to sue primarily Catholic nations, and more than $20 thousand hosting drag shows in Ecuador. It’s wasteful and woke spending like this that gave USAID — and U.S. foreign aid in general — a black eye. USAID was created during the Cold War to counter the Soviet Union. Today, as authoritarian regimes like China and Russia are expanding their influence around the world, we cannot afford to waste taxpayer dollars on ineffective programs that make our nation look weak. Our diplomatic might is needed to counter China’s malign Belt and Road Initiative now more than ever. The American people deserve to know that their hard-earned tax dollars are being used wisely. As we move forward, I will continue working with my colleagues in Congress to reform USAID and restore its focus on programs that truly advance U.S. national security and global leadership. Click below to hear my full exchange with our witness, former Rep. Ted Yoho, at the hearing. Click to Watch Fighting for Our Nation’s Children: The Give Kids A Chance Act No family should have to endure the heartbreak of watching their child fight cancer without access to the best possible treatments. That’s why I founded the Childhood Cancer Caucus in 2009: to give child patients and survivors hope and a voice in Congress. Since then, I have seen firsthand the incredible resilience of young cancer warriors and their families. Their courage is what drives me to continue this fight. This week, I was proud to reintroduce the Give Kids A Chance Act — landmark legislation that would spur drug development for pediatric rare diseases, improve outcomes for patients, and close gaps in pediatric drug research. Over the past 16 years, we have made great strides in pediatric drug development. But our work is far from over. Every year, nearly 16,000 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer, and it remains the leading cause of disease-related death among American children. The Give Kids A Chance Act will ensure every child has a fighting chance to beat this horrible disease. Click here to read more about the bill. Building on the Abraham Accords and Reducing Reliance on China The Give Kids a Chance Act also included a bipartisan section to establish an Abraham Accords office within the Food and Drug Administration. This office will build on President Trump’s successful Abraham Accords — which normalized relations between Israel and several nations in the Middle East — by collaborating with Abraham Accords nations on medical research and development. This will, in turn, help strengthen our countries’ economies, diversify U.S. supply chains, and reduce our reliance on China for lifesaving medicines and supplies. ICYMI: Rep. McCaul TV Coverage McCaul on CBS' "Face The Nation" “I personally believe that USAID has a national security mission. If you go back to its inception in the '60s under President Kennedy and the Cold War, it was to counter the Soviet Union. We need to return to the core mission principles ... The secretary made waivers on [humanitarian assistance and national security imperatives.] The implementation of this is where I would urge the administration to move more expeditiously." Click to Watch ICYMI: Rep. McCaul in the News Newsweek: McCaul Discusses Helping Afghan Allies Left Behind During the Afghanistan Withdrawal Click to read Spectrum News: Gov. Greg Abbott returns to Washington to push for $11 billion reimbursement request Click to read The Daily Wire: GOP Rep Says Some Foreign Aid Programs Are Worth Saving Click to read www.mccaul.house.gov Washington, D.C. 2300 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-2401 Fax: 202-225-5955 Austin 11614 FM 2244 Suite 160 Austin, TX 78738 Fax: 512-473-0514 College Station 175 Century Square Drive Suite 210 College Station, TX 77840 Phone: (979) 431-6480 Fax: (979) 431-5180 Rep. McCaul | Rayburn House Office Building | Washington, DC 20515 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice