“[On the Democracy Fund grants:] Congress appropriated money for the Democracy Fund on a bipartisan basis to support defenders of human rights, to assist victims of human rights violations … In bypassing Congress, the Trump Administration is now using taxpayer funds to promote far-right organizations and programs in established democracies. This is a waste of resources and undermines American values and our relationships with democratic partners, including allies in Europe.
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On the Last Day of the Fiscal Year, the State Department Overrides Congressional Holds to Move $52 Million in Ukraine-Era Military Aid to Latin America and Spend Democracy Fund Money on "Western Civilization" Grants — Jeanne Shaheen and Gregory Meeks Call the Reprogramming Unlawful and Warn of "Consequences," While State Says It "Will Never Apologize for Defending Western Civilization"
October 1, 2026
In mid-September 2026 the State Department notified Congress that it intended to reprogram about $52 million in Foreign Military Financing — originally directed to Slovakia, North Macedonia, Tunisia and Iraq, and partly drawn from the 2022 Ukraine supplemental, which limits the money to "countries impacted by the situation in Ukraine" — to Panama, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia. The ranking Democrats on the two foreign affairs committees, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), placed a hold on the transfer. Late on Sept. 30, the final day of the fiscal year, the department told Congress it would proceed anyway, saying in a statement that shifting money "away from Middle East and Europe to the Western Hemisphere is consistent with the National Security Strategy." Shaheen and Meeks responded on Oct. 1 that the breach of their hold would violate statutory requirements. On Oct. 2, CNN reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had also signed a memo obligating money from the roughly $177 million Democracy Fund before it lapsed — despite Shaheen's holds on 10 proposed awards worth $22 million — including grants for Afrikaner rights in South Africa, a $5 million European "civilizational alliance" program and documenting European "backsliding" on migration.
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“The President promised to combat the destructive woke agenda that has done so much damage to our country and to the world. We will never apologize for defending Western civilization, opposing censorship, ending the era of mass migration, and taking action against government-sponsored race-based discrimination in South Africa.
“[Joint statement by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Gregory Meeks, ranking members of the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committees:] The Executive Branch does not have unlimited discretion to redirect these funds toward unrelated Administration policy priorities or countries. … We are deeply concerned that the Department has failed to justify how this decision complies with the law. … We will consider a breach of this hold and the transfer of funds to violate statutory requirements and to have consequences for the Department's relationship with our committees.
“[Joint statement by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Gregory Meeks, ranking members of the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs Committees:] The Executive Branch does not have unlimited discretion to redirect these funds toward unrelated Administration policy priorities or countries. … We are deeply concerned that the Department has failed to justify how this decision complies with the law. … We will consider a breach of this hold and the transfer of funds to violate statutory requirements and to have consequences for the Department's relationship with our committees.