A bombshell congressional hearing has uncovered what lawmakers are calling a “national disgrace” and a “dangerous betrayal of American taxpayers.” Testimony presented before the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) revealed that billions of dollars in US foreign aid—distributed through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)—have allegedly ended up in the hands of terrorist organisations, including Hamas, the Taliban, and Al Qaeda.
USAID under fire—“Over $2 billion sent to Hamas since October 7”
The hearing, titled “America Last: How Foreign Aid Undermined U.S. Interests Around the World”, was convened to scrutinise how USAID has been handling taxpayer money. Representative Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) sounded the alarm over a staggering $2.1 billion allegedly funneled to Gaza since Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Rep. Burchett minced no words in condemning the Biden administration’s oversight:
“Taxpayer money is keeping Hamas alive. Our government is blindly sending billions of dollars to an area controlled by a terrorist organization, and it is nothing short of an outrage. This administration has utterly failed to ensure that our aid isn’t being exploited by the same people who want to see America and Israel wiped off the map.”
Expert witness Roman testified that lax oversight and emergency authorizations had allowed USAID funds to bypass critical security measures. “Waivers were granted because of an ‘emergency use’ provision,” Roman explained. “As a result, nearly 90 per cent of US aid sent to Gaza has fallen into Hamas-controlled areas. This is absurd. The United States has essentially underwritten Hamas’ ability to survive until the recent ceasefire.”
$40 million per week—”Cash flown into Afghanistan, feeding the Taliban”
Rep. Burchett also exposed how the Biden administration is still sending $40 million per week to Afghanistan, with evidence indicating that the Taliban and Al Qaeda are the ultimate beneficiaries.
“Every week, $40 million of taxpayer money is being flown into Afghanistan via charter jets,” Burchett stated at a press conference. “That cash is then auctioned off to the Taliban, who take their cut before it’s distributed to NGOs. These NGOs, in turn, have to pay ‘taxes’ to the Taliban, further strengthening the terrorist regime.”
Burchett pressed Roman on other examples of U.S. foreign aid allegedly ending up in the hands of terrorist organisations. Roman’s response was chilling:
“We have documented cases where U.S. assistance has indirectly supported al-Shabaab in Somalia, the Hamzi network in Sudan, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, Kata’ib Hezbollah, and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Syria. USAID has effectively become a cash pipeline to the world’s most dangerous organisations.”
USAID & the Biden-Hunter Ukraine scandal—”Corruption at the highest levels”
Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene shifted focus to Ukraine, alleging that Joe Biden, while serving as Vice President, leveraged USAID funding to shield his son, Hunter Biden, from corruption investigations in Ukraine.
“When Joe Biden was Vice President, his son Hunter was on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company facing corruption charges,” Greene asserted. “The prosecutor general, Viktor Shokin, was investigating Burisma when Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in USAID grants unless Shokin was fired. It’s all on video.”
Witness Primorac was blunt in his assessment: “We call that corruption.”
USAID’s role in Syria—”Billions spent, no results”
Greene also condemned USAID’s extensive role in attempting to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a decade-long effort that cost U.S. taxpayers over $15 billion.
“One of the most extensive examples of USAID-fueled regime change is their funding of Syrian rebel groups to topple Bashar al-Assad,” Greene stated. “Instead of making America safer, USAID money ended up in the hands of militant groups that later turned against US interests.” The operation ultimately failed, leaving Syria in turmoil and raising further concerns about the effectiveness of U.S. foreign aid.
Congress calls for immediate reform—“A disgraceful betrayal of the American people”
Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) didn’t hold back in his closing remarks: “This is a disgraceful betrayal of the American taxpayer. USAID has lost all credibility and needs a full-scale overhaul. We cannot allow billions of dollars to continue funding terrorists while American citizens struggle to make ends meet.”
The Subcommittee vowed to continue investigating USAID’s foreign aid practices, pushing for stronger oversight, accountability, and an America-first approach. As the Biden administration faces mounting pressure, the demand for a major shake-up in U.S. foreign aid policies is only growing stronger.
