There’s a recently exposed failure conservative lawmakers in the House should answer for – keeping almost a billion dollars in funding for an agency pointedly under scrutiny by the Department of Government Efficiency. This agency, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), is reportedly being used by the Biden administration for initiating conversations about abortion in Africa. Ridiculous? Yes! This news came to light in an email sent in April discussing possible early retirement or deferred resignation offers for MCC employees resulting from DOGE’s visits.
The acting head of the MCC, shedding light on the impending distress, sent out a communique to staff about a significant reduction in MCC’s programs and, consequently, its workforce. Such upheavals were expected owing to the DOGE team’s findings. It would seem the inefficiencies were running deep, and altering the operational landscape of the organization became inevitable.
Take a trip back to May, when former President Donald Trump sought a 75% decrease in funding for the MCC in his 2026 discretionary budget request. The Office of Management and Budget requested just $224 million in discretionary funding for the MCC for fiscal year 2026. That’s a drastic cut by $706 million from fiscal year 2025. The commitment to fiscal responsibility was crystal clear under Trump’s administration.
Despite such a well-intentioned move by Trump, House Republicans reverted to their old ways, deciding to hold the funding at its inflated levels of $930 million. The Republican-majority House Appropriations Committee, purportedly as a conservative force, fell short of exhibiting fiscal discipline. They voted 35-to-27 to maintain the MCC’s bloated funding in the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act.
More startling revelations came to light through whispers in non-governmental organizational circles. The Millennium Challenge Corporation allegedly dangled hundreds of millions of dollars over the heads of Sierra Leone’s parliament. These funds, originating from a U.S. agreement with Sierra Leone, were conditional upon the passage of a bill to decriminalize abortion before Jan. 20, Trump’s inauguration day.
The Safe Motherhood Act, as the controversial bill is known, advocates for legalizing abortions up to 14 weeks for any reason and even up to birth with the excuse of protecting a woman’s ‘mental health’. While the law already legalizes abortion in Sierra Leone to preserve a woman’s life, the MCC seems intent on pushing the envelope further into morally precarious territories.
Almost laughably, the MCC’s press secretary claimed to be ‘unaware of any Sierra Leonean abortion legislation and has never made any requests to the government of Sierra Leone regarding abortion policies.’ Yet, the information trickling out of Sierra Leone’s NGO corridors seems to paint a different picture. So, what’s the truth? We may never know.
By the last month’s end, the Millennium Challenge Corporation committed itself to adopt Trump’s laudable ‘America First’ foreign policy. The statement read, ‘The Foreign Assistance Review for MCC’s portfolio is complete.’ With such a commitment, one would expect an alignment towards greater prosperity for America. But when taking into consideration their past actions, their commitment rings hollow.
If the MCC holds fast to ‘America First,’ that should translate into making America not only safer and stronger but also more prosperous. But context matters. Let’s not forget we are dealing with an agency that continues to receive inflated funding. Also, an agency wrapped in controversy over its actions in Sierra Leone. Perhaps their idea of ‘America First’ differs significantly from that of Trump’s administration.
To clarify, under a true ‘America First’ policy, the improvement of all American citizens’ conditions precedes all else. It would mean a focus on domestic challenges over foreign public policy ones. The MCC, with its perplexing actions and funding controversies, appears misaligned with this cornerstone of ‘America First.’
In the process of scrutinizing the MCC’s actions, one must consider questions about the Biden administration’s role. Specifically, its alleged use of the MCC to further problematic conversations on abortion in Africa. It’s a harrowing thought: Is this what they consider as support towards global causes?
Moreover, the silence of the House Republicans on this contradiction is earsplitting. With such a high amount of American funding steered away to foreign lands, at the very least, the lawmakers should demand transparency. Instead, they vote to continue the inflated funding. The audacity and disregard of fiscal responsibility are unimaginable.
It leaves one wondering about the real motivations of both the Biden administration and those House Republicans. Are they truly placing ‘America First,’ or are they entangled in some global missions not fully disclosed to the American public? The handling of the MCC issue deserves scrutiny, both for the sake of transparency and the upholding of our national interests.
In conclusion, House Republicans have a role to play in getting the MCC to align itself truly with ‘America First.’ By doing so, they could work towards ensuring this agency, funded by U.S. taxpayers, serves the interests of U.S. citizens before all else. But based on their recent actions, Americans may have to brace for more disappointments.
The post Biden’s Administration, A Trojan Horse for Abortion in Africa? appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
