DOGE Subcommittee Hearing Witnesses Explain How the U.S. Ended Funding Terrorists Through Foreign Aid

BURCHETT Mr Roman are ░░░░░░░░ aware that we are ░░░░░░░░ 40 million a week ░░░░░░░░ the Taliban ROMAN Yes ░░░░░░░░ BURCHETT Can you name ░░░░░░░░ instances of foreign aid ░░░░░░░░ to terrorist organizations ROMAN ░░░░░░░░ have assisted Al Shabaab ░░░░░░░░ Somalia There have been ░░░░░░░░ of the Hamza ph ░░░░░░░░ in Sudan Hamas Islamic ░░░░░░░░ Hezbollah Kata ib Hezbollah ░░░░░░░░ at Tahrir al Shams ░░░░░░░░ Syria Dozens of terror ░░░░░░░░ have received indirect assistance ░░░░░░░░ U S foreign aid ░░░░░░░░ Could you elaborate a ░░░░░░░░ bit on the mechanisms ░░░░░░░░ place that are to ░░░░░░░░ foreign aid from going ░░░░░░░░ terrorist groups And why ░░░░░░░░ they not working if ░░░░░░░░ have any in place ░░░░░░░░ Sure BURCHETT And I ░░░░░░░░ note that these are ░░░░░░░░ notice these are terrorist ░░░░░░░░ You see some AKs ░░░░░░░░ some snipers some clips ░░░░░░░░ clip carriers probably made ░░░░░░░░ China And I believe ░░░░░░░░ are small landmines here ░░░░░░░░ right there ROMAN Let ░░░░░░░░ use Gaza as our ░░░░░░░░ study 2 1 billion ░░░░░░░░ American taxpayers money to ░░░░░░░░ since October 7th when ░░░░░░░░ invaded southern Israel USAID ░░░░░░░░ was going in terms ░░░░░░░░ an emergency use authorization ░░░░░░░░ try to go to ░░░░░░░░ that USAID formerly had ░░░░░░░░ relationship with in the ░░░░░░░░ Strip They had to ░░░░░░░░ been vetted by OFAC ░░░░░░░░ should have been vetted ░░░░░░░░ the special designated terror ░░░░░░░░ from the State Department ░░░░░░░░ from other treasury organizations ░░░░░░░░ were granted because they ░░░░░░░░ that there was an ░░░░░░░░ use to have that ░░░░░░░░ come in to Gaza ░░░░░░░░ jettisoning the usual typical ░░░░░░░░ procedures As a result ░░░░░░░░ percent of aid that ░░░░░░░░ going from the United ░░░░░░░░ by way of its ░░░░░░░░ in Gaza ended up ░░░░░░░░ Hamas controlled areas And ░░░░░░░░ is ridiculous Essentially what ░░░░░░░░ U S assistance to ░░░░░░░░ did was underwrite the ░░░░░░░░ for Hamas to survive ░░░░░░░░ the ceasefire was just ░░░░░░░░ a few weeks ago ░░░░░░░░ was no strategic thought ░░░░░░░░ it and there was ░░░░░░░░ screening BURCHETT Seems like ░░░░░░░░ emergency might have been ░░░░░░░░ terrorists to kill civilians ░░░░░░░░ that be accurate ROMAN ░░░░░░░░ s accurate And even ░░░░░░░░ than that Samantha Powers ░░░░░░░░ administrator for USAID was ░░░░░░░░ on having Israel not ░░░░░░░░ able to defend itself ░░░░░░░░ To not be able ░░░░░░░░ defend itself ROMAN Correct ░░░░░░░░ Mr Primorac is that ░░░░░░░░ How do you say ░░░░░░░░ Primorac I got Burchett ░░░░░░░░ Nobody gets mine right ░░░░░░░░ don t don t ░░░░░░░░ about it What is ░░░░░░░░ Primorac PRIMORAC Perfect BURCHETT ░░░░░░░░ right Thanks brother How ░░░░░░░░ terrorists explore our foreign ░░░░░░░░ loopholes PRIMORAC Well we ░░░░░░░░ we have a lot ░░░░░░░░ our international BURCHETT Can ░░░░░░░░ pull your mic up ░░░░░░░░ m sorry PRIMORAC Can ░░░░░░░░ hear me BURCHETT Yes ░░░░░░░░ PRIMORAC You have international ░░░░░░░░ and U N agencies ░░░░░░░░ lobby here in Washington ░░░░░░░░ C against vetting policies ░░░░░░░░ would prevent it I ░░░░░░░░ the senior vetting officer ░░░░░░░░ USAID And what we ░░░░░░░░ BURCHETT I m sorry ░░░░░░░░ you say United Nations ░░░░░░░░ doing this The U ░░░░░░░░ PRIMORAC Sure Everybody s ░░░░░░░░ money lobby s here ░░░░░░░░ They re lobbying against ░░░░░░░░ I m sorry Mr ░░░░░░░░ you re ROMAN There ░░░░░░░░ actually someone who used ░░░░░░░░ work for one of ░░░░░░░░ lobbies the largest NGO ░░░░░░░░ Interaction One of our ░░░░░░░░ witnesses here worked for ░░░░░░░░ from 2018 to 2023 ░░░░░░░░ effectively self funds its ░░░░░░░░ external private lobby that ░░░░░░░░ goes back to Congress ░░░░░░░░ asks for more money ░░░░░░░░ USAID BURCHETT So the ░░░░░░░░ fund this lobbyist who ░░░░░░░░ working against American interests ░░░░░░░░ Correct BURCHETT And possibly ░░░░░░░░ our allies and possibly ░░░░░░░░ ROMAN They bring together ░░░░░░░░ in Washington that overseas ░░░░░░░░ with groups that kill ░░░░░░░░ BURCHETT Yeah I don ░░░░░░░░ need a float chart ░░░░░░░░ show that I appreciate ░░░░░░░░ Do you think USAID ░░░░░░░░ have been aligned with ░░░░░░░░ national security interests of ░░░░░░░░ U S PRIMORAC No ░░░░░░░░ have not They have ░░░░░░░░ helped China BURCHETT Mr ░░░░░░░░ ROMAN No BURCHETT OK ░░░░░░░░ do these programs compromise ░░░░░░░░ national security Mr Primorac ░░░░░░░░ They actually push China ░░░░░░░░ actually push much of ░░░░░░░░ world towards China on ░░░░░░░░ green energy agenda They ░░░░░░░░ people ordinary people billions ░░░░░░░░ people towards China because ░░░░░░░░ the resentment caused by ░░░░░░░░ social re engineering BURCHETT ░░░░░░░░ we being lobbied by ░░░░░░░░ pro communist China groups ░░░░░░░░ PRIMORAC A lot of ░░░░░░░░ countries don t even ░░░░░░░░ to lobby because they ░░░░░░░░ the money anyway like ░░░░░░░░ Africa BURCHETT Mr Roman ░░░░░░░░ Yeah And in fact ░░░░░░░░ lobbyists have come to ░░░░░░░░ house and they ve ░░░░░░░░ to kill legislation like ░░░░░░░░ R 160 which was ░░░░░░░░ to increase transparency in ░░░░░░░░ s funding of overseas ░░░░░░░░ BURCHETT Is that a ░░░░░░░░ piece of legislation ROMAN ░░░░░░░░ s from the last ░░░░░░░░ BURCHETT Last session And ░░░░░░░░ me that number again ░░░░░░░░ H R 160 BURCHETT ░░░░░░░░ what does it do ░░░░░░░░ It was meant to ░░░░░░░░ U S lawmakers the ░░░░░░░░ to have higher transparency ░░░░░░░░ terror financing investigations aimed ░░░░░░░░ scrutinizing extremist groups BURCHETT ░░░░░░░░ Primorac PRIMORAC We had ░░░░░░░░ regulation before we left ░░░░░░░░ the last administration that ░░░░░░░░ who touches money in ░░░░░░░░ countries where there s ░░░░░░░░ those names have to ░░░░░░░░ through databases terrorist databases ░░░░░░░░ was overturned by Biden ░░░░░░░░ Overturned by Biden Chairlady ░░░░░░░░ am currently have five ░░░░░░░░ but I wanted to ░░░░░░░░ something There s a ░░░░░░░░ of rhetoric used on ░░░░░░░░ committee and I would ░░░░░░░░ my friends on both ░░░░░░░░ of the aisle let ░░░░░░░░ stick to the actual ░░░░░░░░ This rhetoric is I ░░░░░░░░ received death threats and ░░░░░░░░ know the chairlady has ░░░░░░░░ it needs to stop ░░░░░░░░ need to tone it ░░░░░░░░ Thank you chairlady and ░░░░░░░░ you.”