AFA of PA ACTION ALERT
February 12, 2025
Issue
Tell Congress You Support DOGE
Details:
Thus far the Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE has uncovered unbelievable mismanagement of taxpayer dollars! Here are a few examples:
- payment approval officers at Treasury were instructed always to approve payments, even to known fraudulent or terrorist groups
- The Social Security Administration has terminated its contract for the “Gender X initiative marker” and removed all references to gender ideology from public facing applications – saving $1 million
- February 4: - 12 consulting contract terminations (in GSA and the Dept. of Education) for a total savings of ~$30mm, including a $23mm work order for “digital modernization Program Management Office support” –“12 underutilized lease cancellations for an annual savings of $3mm”
- February 3 - 36 contracts were terminated for a total savings of ~$165mm across 6 agencies, including a DHS contract for “people and culture survey and climate support services.”
- February 2 - In the past 6 days, the number of lease terminations of underutilized buildings has increased from 3 to 22, with savings increased from $1.6M to $44.6M.
- Through 1/29/2025, 85 DEIA related contracts totaling ~$1B have been terminated within the Dept. of Ed, GSA, OPM, EPA, DOT, Treasury, DoD, USDA, Commerce, DHS, VA, HHS, State, NSF, NRC, NLRB, PBGC, USAID, RRB, SSA, SBA, BLM, CFPB, NPS, and NOAA.
The biggest focus has been on the United States Agency for International Development or USAID, which in reality has little to do with aid! Here’s some of what’s been found so far:
- $47,000 for a “transgender opera” in Colombia.
- $70,000 for the production of a “DEI musical” in Ireland.
- $1.5 million for DEI programs in Serbia.
- $2 million for sex changes and “LGBT activism” in Guatemala.
- $2 million for Moroccan pottery classes.
- $3 million to an arm of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
- $8 million for the left-wing media outlet Politico.
- $20 million for Sesame Street in Iraq.
- $32,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru
- USAID funded Burisma, the Ukrainian energy company that put Hunter Biden on its payroll.
- USAID funded Metabiota another company with links to Hunter Biden, that worked on “pandemic prediction and mitigation.”
- USAID funded the Wuhan Lab that created COVID-19.
- $10 million for meals to the Nusra Front, an al Qaeda-linked terrorist group.
- 90% of all media outlets in Ukraine receive funding from USAID
- In 2023, 6,200 journalists in more than 700 media outlets and 279 media nongovernmental organizations in 30 countries received your tax dollars
There’s more such as $2.5 million for electric vehicles in Vietnam, but you get the idea!! According to Ward Clark of restate.com: In fiscal year 2023, the United States disbursed $72 billion of assistance worldwide on everything from women's health in conflict zones to access to clean water, HIV/AIDS treatments, energy security and anti-corruption work. It provided 42% of all humanitarian aid tracked by the United Nations in 2024.
USAID is asking for $42.8 billion in the 2025 budget!!
USAID was not created by an act of Congress. It was created by the executive order of President John F. Kennedy , in response to the passage of the Foreign Assistance Act on September 4, 1961. This bill reorganized US foreign assistance programs and mandated the creation of an agency to administer economic aid. As an official component of US foreign policy, USAID operates subject to the guidance of the President, Secretary of State and the National Security Council.
In fiscal year 2016, they had 10, 235 employees!! A few days ago, everyone was fired except about 300; unfortunately, a judge has stepped in to delay it! Secretary of State Marco Rubio is now the acting director of USAID and is helping go through every program to determine which are actually needed.
Action Steps:
Tell Senator John Fetterman, Dave McCormick and your US Representative that you approve of the work that DOGE is doing!
In His Service,
Diane
Diane Gramley