- House Republicans accuse the Biden administration of misdirecting billions in taxpayer funds to NGOs championing progressive causes like open borders and climate activism.
- Key lawmakers, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Eric Burlison and Brandon Gill, allege the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and federal agencies used NGOs to launder taxpayer dollars through nonprofits like Rewiring America and the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
- Witnesses and lawmakers clashed over ties between migrant-support NGOs and 10 million+ illegal border crossings since 2021.
- Democrats dismissed the hearing as a partisan “witch hunt” targeting Black leaders and LGBTQ+ youth programs, while defending nonprofits as essential for vulnerable communities.
- The conflict highlights a national divide over fiscal accountability, with GOP-aligned figures pushing aggressive reforms ahead of the 2026 elections.
House Republicans have charged President Joe Biden’s administration with diverting $2.3 billion in taxpayer money to progressive NGOs, fueling policies like open borders and climate activism. A high-stakes hearing titled “Public Funds, Private Agendas: NGOs Gone Wild” in Washington, D.C., featured starkly divided sides: Republicans demanded accountability, while Democrats accused them of politicizing humanitarian aid.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), chairing the oversight subcommittee, accused the Biden team of enabling “unhinged” spending via the EPA, HUD and USAID. NGOs like Rewiring America and the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) allegedly used “taxpayer-backed radicalism” to advance liberalism, including programs explicitly benefiting undocumented immigrants.
Testimony highlighted questionable funding channels. Witnesses revealed EPA grants totaling $20 billion to Power Forward Communities, a group co-led by Stacey Abrams’ campaign advisor. Meanwhile, HUD contracts with NLIHC were linked to LGBTQ+ facilities in schools and organizations tied to the Immigrant Relief Network, a group helping undocumented migrants.
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) called the scheme illegal, stating, “These aren’t grants — they’re bribes, designed to redirect taxpayer money to radical political aims.” Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX) grilled NLIHC leaders, exposing their oversight of shelters that planned “gender confirmation transition” programs for minors — and criticized NLIHC’s board for including activists who instructed illegal immigrants on evading deportation.
The hearing underscored alleged connections between NGO spending and border chaos. Data shown included a 2023 EPA $54 billion allocation to South American transit hubs, directly aiding mass migration waves. Over 10 million illegal border crossings since late 2021 have exacerbated infrastructure burdens, costs shouldered by U.S. taxpayers.
Democratic pushback: “Gaslighting the vulnerable”
Democrats framed the hearing as a baseless “attack on Black communities” and “transgender children.” Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) labeled the GOP’s focus on NGOs as a “war on lifelines for those in need,” arguing: “NGOs fix the problems the government fails to solve.”
Critics highlighted hypocrisy. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), referencing a leaked document, alleged Republican lawmakers “blacklist Black female candidates” like Abrams by targeting supportive organizations. Others decried attempts to weaponize audits, like the GOP’s proposed “Efficiency Act” (DOGE), which would grant Congress access to IRS and Treasury data to investigate nonprofits — a move Democrats called “smear tactics.”
NLIHC’s Diane Yentel defended her group’s work, noting that GOP policies under Trump had frozen critical aid to survivors of domestic violence and HIV organizations. “These are human beings relying on our help,” she pleaded, countering critics who called her programs radical. “If helping people sleep under roofs is a ‘leftist agenda,’ judge us by that standard.”
Reform or repression?
The hearing’s fallout escalated on social media, with hashtags like #TrumpSavesTaxpayers trending alongside pro-Democrat claims that GOP “starve kids” amid global crises. The ideological divide mirrored broader American tensions: Democrats see NGOs as necessary buffers in a flawed system; Republicans view them as “blue state slush funds.”
Key data deepened the rift. A leaked DHS document showed Biden-affiliated NGOs held $150 billion in long-term contracts — funds redirecting U.S. infrastructure money to climate projects and urban “transformation” plans tied to migration hubs. Meanwhile, Rep. Mark Krikorian (R-WV) detailed a United Nations-backed network funding “people-smuggler routes,” funneling aid to Central American organizations allegedly aiding illegal entrants.
GOP strategists termed this a “Helsinki gateway” — a reference to Cold War-era capitol penetration — claiming NGOs funnel donations to destabilize conservative policies. Democrats rejected such rhetoric as “extreme fiction,” noting U.S. border-crosser numbers dipped slightly under Biden in early 2025 to 6 million, down from 2021’s record high.
A 2026 election litmus test
The hearing previews electoral clash. Trump-aligned groups vow to freeze 220 target NGOs by invoking the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, accusing EPA bureaucrats of “gifting” money to industries advancing “woke” policies. The GOP’s GOLEAD Act, cosponsored by Greene, would strip NGOs of federal contracts unless they disclose all money flows—and forfeit taxpayer funds used for lobbying or politically sensitive issues.
Democrats plan legal challenges, describing GOP actions as an “existential threat to community groups.” They’ve launched emergency fundraising campaigns to offset existing budget cuts, citing “political retaliation” for serving poor families. Biden’s team defended spending as “humanitarian” but admitted mistakes in transparency.
As tempers flared, partisan accusations grew wild. Rep. Gill held up an NLIHC promotional video eerily mirroring a 2019 St. Anthony shooting testimonial, mocking Democratic “theatrics.” A silenced Greens reiterated her campaign vow: “The American taxpayer should know exactly where their money goes — enabling migrants or enabling abortion clinics.”
Where it stands: Scandal or symptom?
The controversy hinges on one question: Who defines “legitimacy” for nonprofits? The White House insists its allocations greet “real needs,” while Republicans sound the alarm on systemic corruption.
Biden’s EPA awarded $14 billion to CIMA, a CIA-linked group aiding Central American migrants—a figure congressional aides insist is buried in U.N. humanitarian reports. The public deserves answers.
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