{"id":2400221,"date":"2025-02-07T10:05:02","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T15:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lummis-slams-usaid-funding-for-sesame-street-show-in-iraq\/"},"modified":"2025-02-07T10:05:46","modified_gmt":"2025-02-07T15:05:46","slug":"lummis-slams-usaid-funding-for-sesame-street-show-in-iraq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lummis-slams-usaid-funding-for-sesame-street-show-in-iraq\/","title":{"rendered":"Lummis Slams USAID Funding For &#8216;Sesame Street&#8217; Show In Iraq"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Flummis-slams-usaid-funding-for-sesame-street-show-in-iraq%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2400221&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator Cynthia Lummis from Wyoming criticized the United States Agency for International Advancement (USAID) for what \u200dshe described as reckless\u200c government \u2063spending. During a Senate speech, she highlighted\u2064 various expenditures funded by USAID, including $4.5 million aimed at combating disinformation in Kazakhstan, $20 million for a &#8220;Sesame Street&#8221; show in Iraq, and $8 million to\u200d train Sri Lankan journalists on gendered language. Lummis expressed outrage that while American workers were struggling,taxpayer money was used \u2062for what \u2063she called far-left projects.<\/p>\n<p>in the larger context,\u200b former President \u200cTrump has also targeted USAID,\u200d claiming it is indeed managed by &#8220;radical\u200c lunatics,&#8221; and there are plans to scale down the agency&#8217;s workforce significantly. \u200dThe proposal has faced opposition from Democrats, who argue \u200cagainst \u200cthe reforms and accuse the administration of conducting a\u2062 hostile \u2063takeover of the federal \u200cgovernment. \u200dTech entrepreneur Elon musk, leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), responded by asserting that this \u2064is a crucial moment \u2063for the american people to challenge bureaucratic governance and restore democracy.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">condemned reckless spending<\/a> from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which has been recently targeted by the Trump administration&rsquo;s efforts to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/researchers-broke-law-spending-estimated-246m-in-taxpayer-dollars-to-get-animals-stoned-report-finds\/\" title=\"Researchers Broke Law Spending Estimated 6M In Taxpayer Dollars To Get Animals Stoned, Report Finds\">clear government waste<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>On the Senate floor Thursday, Lummis outlined a series of items given funding from USAID as &ldquo;some of the ways the last administration has wasted your money.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>First, Lummis hit the more than $4.5 million to &ldquo;combat disinformation&rdquo; in Kazakhstan. &ldquo;And just whose disinformation is it? I think that&rsquo;s probably in the eye of the beholder,&rdquo; she said. <\/p>\n<p>The Wyoming lawmaker also admonished the agency for delivering $20 million for a &ldquo;Sesame Street&rdquo; show in Iraq, $25 million to promote &ldquo;green transportation&rdquo; in Georgia, $8 million to teach Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid &ldquo;binary gendered language,&rdquo; $1.5 million to rebuild the Cuban media, and $1.5 million for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in Serbia.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>WATCH: DOGE caucus member <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SenLummis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SenLummis<\/a> exposes the Biden admin&#8217;s wasteful spending: <\/p>\n<p>$4.5 to combat disinformation in Kazakhstan.<br \/>$20 million for Sesame Street in Iraq.<br \/>$25 million to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/usaids-long-list-of-crap-read-karoline-leavitts-docket-of-waste-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"...&#039;s &#039;long list of crap&#039;: Read Karoline Leavitt&#039;s docket of waste - Washington Examiner\">promote green transportation<\/a> in Georgia.<br \/>$8 million to teach Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dkYqLCo08U\">pic.twitter.com\/dkYqLCo08U<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&mdash; Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SteveGuest\/status\/1887579662999585178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 6, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>&ldquo;During the Biden administration, Americans were working harder than ever and yet were taking home less and less,&rdquo; Lummis told The Federalist. &ldquo;The fact that their government was simultaneously wasting millions on far-left, ridiculous programs should rightfully be a major outrage to all hardworking taxpayers.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>USAID had also <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/02\/04\/11-insane-things-your-tax-dollars-paid-for-thanks-to-usaid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">delivered<\/a> grants for a DEI musical in Ireland, electric vehicles in Vietnam, and a transgender comic book in Peru. The agency complemented the grants for social engineering overseas by funding <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2025\/02\/06\/follow-the-money-feds-gave-millions-to-left-wing-media-outlets-including-politico-the-new-york-times\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">legacy media<\/a> and global censorship programs. Corporate outlets which received American taxpayer dollars through USAID include the Associated Press, Politico, Reuters, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN. The AP and Politico received more than $30 million from the agency.<\/p>\n<p>Last weekend, President Donald Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/trump-usaid-run-bunch-radical-014631488.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> USAID was &ldquo;run by a bunch of radical lunatics.&rdquo; NBC <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/politics-news\/usaid-reduce-foreign-service-officers-trump-cuts-federal-government-rcna191122\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> Thursday the new administration plans to terminate thousands of USAID employees and reduce the agency down to less than 300 staff. Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/homenews\/administration\/5123282-marco-rubio-usaid-take-over\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> reporters on a trip to Latin America this week he is now the acting director.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats protested plans to reform the agency this week with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/2025\/02\/04\/senate-democrats-holds-nominees-usaid\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">threats<\/a> to place blanket holds on additional nominees for confirmation. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;An unelected shadow government is conducting a hostile takeover of the federal government,&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/news3lv.com\/news\/nation-world\/schumer-slams-doge-as-unelected-shadow-government-amid-usaid-probe-department-of-government-efficiency-elon-musk-trump-us-agency-for-international-development\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> Democrat Senate leader Chuck Schumer of New York. &ldquo;DOGE is not a real government agency. DOGE has no authority to make spending decisions.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, who is leading the administration&rsquo;s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) responded to the Democrat Senate chief on X. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is the one shot the American people have to defeat BUREAUcracy, rule of the bureaucrats, and restore DEMOcracy, role of the people,&rdquo; Musk wrote. &ldquo;We&rsquo;re never going to get another chance like this.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure>\n<p><span><\/p>\n<blockquote data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<div lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>Hysterical reactions like this is how you know that <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DOGE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@DOGE<\/a> is doing work that really matters.<\/p>\n<p>This is the one shot the American people have to defeat BUREAUcracy, rule of the bureaucrats, and restore DEMOcracy, rule of the people. We&rsquo;re never going to get another chance like&hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rwBqcp7veQ\">https:\/\/t.co\/rwBqcp7veQ<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/elonmusk\/status\/1886701194782892524?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 4, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<hr>\n<p>      Tristan Justice is a national correspondent for The Federalist and the co-author of &#8220;Fat and Unhappy: How &#8216;Body Positivity&#8217; Is Killing Us (and How to Save Yourself).&#8221; He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at Tristan@thefederalist.com. Sign up for Tristan&#8217;s email newsletter <a href=\"https:\/\/socialjusticeredux.substack.com\/about\">here<\/a>. Buy &#8220;Fat and Unhappy&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sz7EDAJI1c\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sen. Lummis criticized USAID&#8217;s wasteful spending<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":494,"featured_media":2400222,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Lummis.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[50002,50003,16381],"class_list":["post-2400221","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-lummis","tag-sesame-street","tag-usaid"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Lummis.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2400221","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/494"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2400221"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2400221\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2400225,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2400221\/revisions\/2400225"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2400222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2400221"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2400221"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2400221"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}