Dozens of House Republicans voted with Democrats on Wednesday to block a Trump-supported effort to defund the leftist National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
While created “to promote democracy abroad,” the NED “is led and staffed almost entirely by Democrats,” according to The Heritage Foundation.
The result is a government-funded body that’s been routinely used “to delegitimize the Republican party,” as well as to censor conservative voices.
“Through its grants program, the NED has supported development of the international ‘disinformation industrial complex’—including one grantee that sought to censor and suppress conservative speech in the United States in advance of the 2020 and 2022 elections,” Heritage notes.
Tonight, the Uniparty rejected my amendment to defund NED.
81 ‘republicans’ voted with democrats to fund this rogue organization that fuels global censorship and domestic propaganda.
To see how your representative voted, visit: https://t.co/yXw10mNBiO pic.twitter.com/Vv9CABqpoV
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) January 14, 2026
After Wednesday’s vote, during which 81 Republicans voted with their Democrat colleagues, The Heritage Foundation was one of the first to call the vote “a complete betrayal.”
“NED is a radically left-wing enterprise and the global tip of the spear of disinformation and censorship campaigns against conservatives,” the foundation tweeted.
“The objective of some so-called conservatives appears to be to preserve the Deep State and destroy the historic opportunity Americans gave them to make lasting improvements to the federal government,” it added.
Elon Musk, former co-chair of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), previously called NED a “scam” that’s rife with corruption.
He doubled down after Wednesday’s vote by drawing attention to a report about how NED “funds the censorship of American citizens” by funneling hundreds of millions of dollars to left-wing NGOs:
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 16, 2026
Rep. Mark Harris, one of the Republicans who voted to defund NED, delivered a speech on the House floor after Wednesday’s vote, slamming his peers for voting to “fund a rogue organization that fuels global censorship and domestic propaganda.”
“Only a year ago, several in my party were hyping up DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency,” he said. “I must ask, where’s the enthusiasm now? Why are we not continuing to slash the waste, fraud, and abuse?”
“We did it with USAID, NPR, and PBS. But listen, we can’t stop there. While we’re wielding the budget axe, let’s be unequivocal about what should never receive another dime of taxpayer money,” he added.
Only a year ago, House Republicans were hyping up DOGE and @ElonMusk.
Where is that enthusiasm now? Why are we not continuing to slash the fraud?
Last night, why did 81 Republicans vote to fund a rogue organization that fuels global censorship and domestic propaganda? pic.twitter.com/RDsb5NXOVN
— Rep. Mark Harris (@RepMarkHarrisNC) January 15, 2026
Even turncoat Rep. Thomas Massie, who has a record of habitually siding with the left, was taken aback by Wednesday’s vote.
“[N]ow the deep-state is baked into the spending bill thanks to 81 republicans,” he tweeted after the vote.
Although not a member of the House, Sen. Mike Lee also slammed Republicans for voting with the left:
Congress shouldn’t be giving $315 million to the National Endowment for Democracy
We are not the world’s ATM
And yet far too many in Congress seem to think otherwise—especially when we’re asked to fund leftist vanity projects
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 13, 2026
One of the Republicans who voted against defunding NED, Rep. Robert Aderholt, defended his decision by citing China.
“One of the biggest critics of NED has been China, because they see it as a direct counter to their own ‘Belt and Road’ initiative to spread their influence,” he told 1819 News.
“While I have no doubt the Biden Administration allowed this program and its funding to drift into waste (like they did with so many things), I have full confidence that President Trump and his Administration will ensure these funds are used as President Reagan intended: to confront radical left ideology and advance freedom around the globe,” he added.
Rep. Mike Rogers made the same argument.
“Needlessly shuttering the National Endowment for Democracy accomplishes nothing but the advancement of the CCP’s global initiatives,” he alleged to 1819 News.
“A complete closure of NED would result in a vacuum of U.S. global influence that the Chinese state would happily fill. I always vote in favor of cutting back on irresponsible spending, but as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, it’s my duty to fight foreign propaganda and its advancement,” he added.
Defund the NED, another taxpayer dollar cash flow machine funding the blob and its dirty operations. pic.twitter.com/GLYZcF7HKC
— The SCIF (@TheSCIF) January 14, 2026
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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