Rep. Mike Lawler: USAID Gave ‘Over $3 Million to a Rap Artist in Gaza Producing Anti-Israel, Anti-Semitic Songs’

SCARBOROUGH With us now ░░░░░░░░ s bring in Republican ░░░░░░░░ Mike Lawler He is ░░░░░░░░ New York He s ░░░░░░░░ member of the Financial ░░░░░░░░ and Foreign Affairs Committees ░░░░░░░░ s also a chair ░░░░░░░░ the Middle East and ░░░░░░░░ Africa Subcommittee So governor ░░░░░░░░ s what we d ░░░░░░░░ you in the South ░░░░░░░░ you were thinking about ░░░░░░░░ for governor governor I ░░░░░░░░ to get to your ░░░░░░░░ today with Fed Chairman ░░░░░░░░ Let s start first ░░░░░░░░ with USAID We were ░░░░░░░░ talking about it I ░░░░░░░░ I pep for I ░░░░░░░░ these programs because they ░░░░░░░░ so many lives but ░░░░░░░░ also support it strategically ░░░░░░░░ an old Cold War ░░░░░░░░ I understand that boots ░░░░░░░░ the ground are important ░░░░░░░░ also humanitarian aid is ░░░░░░░░ It s also important ░░░░░░░░ intel we pick up ░░░░░░░░ it s from the ░░░░░░░░ Coast or Sudan or ░░░░░░░░ parts of Africa and ░░░░░░░░ continents I m curious ░░░░░░░░ your thought is on ░░░░░░░░ USAID should be approached ░░░░░░░░ Well Joe we re ░░░░░░░░ going to have a ░░░░░░░░ tomorrow on USAID in ░░░░░░░░ Foreign Affairs Committee and ░░░░░░░░ lot of these issues ░░░░░░░░ be discussed When you ░░░░░░░░ at a program like ░░░░░░░░ I have been very ░░░░░░░░ in my support for ░░░░░░░░ Sixty percent of PEPFAR ░░░░░░░░ program is administered by ░░░░░░░░ Secretary Rubio did grant ░░░░░░░░ waiver for life saving ░░░░░░░░ like PEPFAR which obviously ░░░░░░░░ critical on the continent ░░░░░░░░ Africa saving tens of ░░░░░░░░ of lives over the ░░░░░░░░ two decades Probably one ░░░░░░░░ the best soft power ░░░░░░░░ of the United States ░░░░░░░░ aid program ever But ░░░░░░░░ you look at some ░░░░░░░░ the expenditures by USAID ░░░░░░░░ instance I uncovered over ░░░░░░░░ million to a rap ░░░░░░░░ in Gaza producing anti ░░░░░░░░ anti Semitic songs Is ░░░░░░░░ the best use of ░░░░░░░░ taxpayer dollars I would ░░░░░░░░ not SCARBOROUGH Right LAWLER ░░░░░░░░ so one of the ░░░░░░░░ that we re going ░░░░░░░░ do in this hearing ░░░░░░░░ obviously is go through ░░░░░░░░ actually is the role ░░░░░░░░ USAID what should they ░░░░░░░░ focused on and frankly ░░░░░░░░ have they been focused ░░░░░░░░ And I think one ░░░░░░░░ the things to keep ░░░░░░░░ mind Joe in other ░░░░░░░░ of the world some ░░░░░░░░ the woke ideology that ░░░░░░░░ was promoting is not ░░░░░░░░ by the people or ░░░░░░░░ governments and it actually ░░░░░░░░ be counterproductive to what ░░░░░░░░ re trying to accomplish ░░░░░░░░ Right LAWLER So I ░░░░░░░░ one of the things ░░░░░░░░ need to recognize crosstalk ░░░░░░░░ So so but that ░░░░░░░░ s what that s ░░░░░░░░ that s what you ░░░░░░░░ do though Like that ░░░░░░░░ what you go through ░░░░░░░░ Yeah SCARBOROUGH in subcommittees ░░░░░░░░ s it s it ░░░░░░░░ not like some radical ░░░░░░░░ professor said Hey let ░░░░░░░░ give 3 million to ░░░░░░░░ rap artist in Gaza ░░░░░░░░ s going to do ░░░░░░░░ American and anti Israel ░░░░░░░░ No the Biden SCARBOROUGH ░░░░░░░░ LAWLER the Biden Administration ░░░░░░░░ SCARBOROUGH No But but ░░░░░░░░ That s part of ░░░░░░░░ problem here SCARBOROUGH but ░░░░░░░░ you you have Congress ░░░░░░░░ who funds USAID So ░░░░░░░░ Yes SCARBOROUGH shouldn t ░░░░░░░░ all be making these ░░░░░░░░ instead of LAWLER Yeah ░░░░░░░░ Elon Musk LAWLER But ░░░░░░░░ Joe one thing I ░░░░░░░░ tell you and and ░░░░░░░░ as a former member ░░░░░░░░ Congress certainly understand this ░░░░░░░░ the separation of powers ░░░░░░░░ when you re asking ░░░░░░░░ information the executive Branch ░░░░░░░░ t want to share ░░░░░░░░ We had numerous hearings ░░░░░░░░ Congress we sent numerous ░░░░░░░░ to Samantha Power to ░░░░░░░░ requesting more information and ░░░░░░░░ obvious reasons they didn ░░░░░░░░ want to provide it ░░░░░░░░ you ve seen in ░░░░░░░░ last few weeks frankly ░░░░░░░░ some people may object ░░░░░░░░ certainly understand Joe oftentimes ░░░░░░░░ moves at a glacial ░░░░░░░░ SCARBOROUGH Right LAWLER And ░░░░░░░░ yes we have seen ░░░░░░░░ move very rapidly But ░░░░░░░░ when you re making ░░░░░░░░ you know an omelet ░░░░░░░░ ve got to crack ░░░░░░░░ few eggs And I ░░░░░░░░ think that unfortunately is ░░░░░░░░ as we re actually ░░░░░░░░ to uncover what these ░░░░░░░░ and departments are doing ░░░░░░░░ they re spending money ░░░░░░░░ and is it in ░░░░░░░░ with the United States ░░░░░░░░ There s no question ░░░░░░░░ Right LAWLER humanitarian aid ░░░░░░░░ power is critical to ░░░░░░░░ foreign policy And when ░░░░░░░░ comes to issues like ░░░░░░░░ when it comes to ░░░░░░░░ like feeding the hungry ░░░░░░░░ SCARBOROUGH Right LAWLER that ░░░░░░░░ a primary mission SCARBOROUGH ░░░░░░░░ LAWLER But that s ░░░░░░░░ exactly what USAID has ░░░░░░░░ focused on SCARBOROUGH Well ░░░░░░░░ mean —”