House Republican lawmakers have accused the State Department of using taxpayer money to promote atheism overseas through a $500,000 grant awarded to Humanists International (HI). The State Department initially maintained that the grant supported religious freedom programs and encouraged tolerance for religious minority populations, denying any efforts to recruit individuals for the humanist cause. However, last month, the agency admitted that it misrepresented the nature of the programming to Congress, highlighting a PowerPoint slide deck used by HI in Nepal that was not the actual material provided at the trainings.
Reps. Michael McCaul, Chris Smith, and Brian Mast wrote a letter to State Department Deputy Secretary Richard Verma condemning the department’s actions. They accused officials of misleading Congress and expanding atheist networks overseas in violation of the US Constitution’s Establishment Clause. The lawmakers expressed disbelief that the department failed to address the issue sooner and emphasized that the grant promoted atheism and expanded atheist networks while neglecting Christian and Muslim minorities who face persecution in South Asia. They called for accountability measures and oversight of the corrective actions taken by the State Department.
Congressional investigators discovered constitutional violations after obtaining slides used at HI presentations in Nepal that differed from those initially provided to Congress by the State Department. The lawmakers described the content of the slides as damning, indicating that the grant promoted atheism and aimed to recruit new members for the organization, in violation of the Establishment Clause. They pointed out the neglect of Christian and Muslim minorities who face real persecution in South Asia, contrasting with the focus on atheist networks in the region.
The House Republicans expressed skepticism towards the State Department’s assurances that it would take immediate action and recoup misused funds. They demanded that Verma keep Congress informed about the agency’s corrective actions in the future. The letter highlighted discrepancies in Verma’s previous testimony, where he denied that the grant was intended to promote atheism and emphasized that the work would not align with such objectives. However, the evidence presented by the congressional investigators contradicted these claims and revealed the true nature of the programming supported by the grant.
Overall, the House Republicans accused the State Department of engaging in a pattern of obfuscation and denial concerning the promotion of atheism overseas using taxpayer funds. They emphasized the constitutional violations and the neglect of religious minority populations in South Asia, pointing out the department’s misrepresentation of the programming to Congress. The letter urged the State Department to take appropriate accountability measures and address the concerns raised by the lawmakers. The Republican lawmakers expressed their skepticism about the department’s commitment to rectifying the situation and requested ongoing updates on the corrective actions moving forward.
