Published on February 6, 2025
This presidential action directs federal agencies to review and potentially halt funding to NGOs deemed to be working against U.S. interests. The directive empowers agency heads to align funding decisions with administration priorities and national interests, citing concerns about taxpayer dollars supporting organizations that allegedly undermine American security and prosperity.
The action's broad and undefined criteria for determining what constitutes "undermining" national interests creates a concerning degree of executive discretion that could be used to defund organizations critical of administration policies. The vague language about "goals and priorities" as determined by agency heads suggests this could be used as a political tool to silence dissent and redirect funds to ideologically aligned organizations, rather than genuinely protecting national security.
While presented as a measure to protect American interests and ensure responsible use of taxpayer funds, this action effectively centralizes significant power within the executive branch to control NGO funding based on potentially arbitrary or politically motivated criteria. The public should be particularly attentive to how terms like "national interest" and "undermining" are defined and applied in practice.
SUBJECT: Advancing United States Interests When Funding Nongovernmental Organizations The United States Government has provided significant taxpayer dollars to Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs), many of which are engaged in actions that actively undermine the security, prosperity, and safety of the American people. It is the policy of my Administration to stop funding NGOs that undermine the national interest. I therefore direct the heads of executive departments and agencies (agencies) to review all funding that agencies provide to NGOs. The heads of agencies shall align future funding decisions with the interests of the United States and with the goals and priorities of my Administration, as expressed in executive actions; as otherwise determined in the judgment of the heads of agencies; and on the basis of applicable authorizing statutes, regulations, and terms.