Today, Heritage Action announced its support for an amendment introduced by Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) to eliminate federal funding for the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a congressionally funded nonprofit that has strayed from its original, non-partisan mission and increasingly operated as a vehicle for leftist advocacy.
To this end, Heritage Action is issuing a key vote for Amendment #5 to H.R. 8595.
NED was established during Ronald Reagan’s presidency as a bipartisan organization tasked with promoting democracy overseas. However, NED has since become a partisan weapon used to denounce opponents of progressive ideology, all paid for by the American taxpayer. NED has funded organizations and publications equating President Trump to Hitler and likening Republicans to fascists.
Though President Trump tried to defund NED early in his second term, the move was blocked by an activist judge. Rep. Crane’s amendment would prohibit such taxpayer funds from being allocated to NED. The amendment is intended to prevent taxpayer resources from supporting global censorship initiatives and domestic propaganda efforts.
“American taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize organizations that hate them and their values,” said Dr. Kevin Roberts, President of Heritage Action and The Heritage Foundation. “The National Endowment for Democracy was established to promote freedom abroad yet now backs anti-American interests. Congress should follow our key vote and restore accountability to federal spending. The American people are watching.”
Heritage Action has consistently supported efforts to eliminate taxpayer funding for NED, including issuing a key vote for a prior amendment from Rep. Crane to defund the organization.
“The American people are demanding accountability for every taxpayer dollar spent in Washington,” said Daniel West, Government Relations Director at Heritage Action. “The National Endowment for Democracy has received hundreds of millions of dollars from Congress that were then funneled to partisan institutions and initiatives. Rep. Crane’s amendment provides Congress an opportunity to end this misuse of taxpayer resources and refocus federal spending on America’s national interest.”
Heritage Action urges Congress to support Rep. Crane’s amendment and end taxpayer funding for the National Endowment for Democracy.
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