A recent investigation led by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) has uncovered that the Biden administration allocated $18 million in taxpayer funds to Communist China, with a significant portion of the funds either missing or misreported in federal databases. This alarming revelation is igniting backlash from elected officials and watchdog organizations alike.
Biden Administration Under Fire for $18 Million Funding to China
Biden Administration Under Fire for $18 Million Funding to China
Investigation reveals taxpayer dollars were misreported or hidden, sparking outrage from lawmakers.
The investigation found that at least $4 million of the allocated funds was unaccounted for in USAspending.gov, the federal grant tracking platform. The majority of this funding came from the State Department and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and was directed towards various projects in China. Some of these initiatives included:
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEI) training at U.S. consulates
- Support for pro-LGBT events in China
- Funding for promotional art billboards and bicycle parking facilities
- Climate change projects
- Research involving rats
Additionally, the analysis highlighted a substantial $4.8 million designated for Peking University in Beijing aimed at executing a “China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.” However, further investigation revealed that $1.08 million sent to Peking as a subaward under a grant to the University of Southern California was not transparently reported on the university’s profile in government spending databases. This grant was intended for research on brain sensors affecting cognition, addiction, and mood.
An April 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit affirmed that U.S. funds often make their way to Chinese programs through subawards, but cautioned that the full extent of this funding is obscured due to inadequate data reporting and a lack of transparency.
Senator Ernst criticized the Biden administration's practices, arguing that American taxpayer dollars are being utilized to support an adversarial regime, while avoiding accountability through hidden expenditures and incomplete reporting.
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEI) training at U.S. consulates
- Support for pro-LGBT events in China
- Funding for promotional art billboards and bicycle parking facilities
- Climate change projects
- Research involving rats
Additionally, the analysis highlighted a substantial $4.8 million designated for Peking University in Beijing aimed at executing a “China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study.” However, further investigation revealed that $1.08 million sent to Peking as a subaward under a grant to the University of Southern California was not transparently reported on the university’s profile in government spending databases. This grant was intended for research on brain sensors affecting cognition, addiction, and mood.
An April 2023 Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit affirmed that U.S. funds often make their way to Chinese programs through subawards, but cautioned that the full extent of this funding is obscured due to inadequate data reporting and a lack of transparency.
Senator Ernst criticized the Biden administration's practices, arguing that American taxpayer dollars are being utilized to support an adversarial regime, while avoiding accountability through hidden expenditures and incomplete reporting.
