Congressman reveals how State Department is misusing funds meant for religious freedom

CV NEWS FEED // A congressional investigation spanning two years has unearthed alarming revelations about the U.S. State Department’s handling of religious freedom initiatives. 

According to Rep. Michael T. McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, certain diplomatic programs funded by taxpayer dollars are straying into territory that promotes atheism, violating both constitutional principles and the intent of U.S. foreign aid.

In a recent article titled “America’s Atheist Diplomacy” published in First Things, McCaul explained that a $500,000 grant issued in 2021 by the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor was directed toward programs supporting atheists, humanists, and non-religious groups in South Asia. The grant sought to “promote and defend religious freedom inclusive of atheist, humanist, non-practicing and non-affiliated individuals.” He described the initiative as a program to “expand the presence and influence of atheists overseas,” arguing that it amounted to taxpayer-funded proselytization for atheism.

The investigation found that while Christians and Muslims in Nepal and Sri Lanka face documented persecution, the safety of atheists and humanists in these countries was never in serious jeopardy. Yet, McCaul reported that the State Department prioritized funding for these non-religious groups at the expense of persecuted religious minorities, saying, “The State Department was picking favorites.”

Opposition to the grant also came from within the State Department itself. Internal communications revealed resistance from U.S. diplomats in South Asia, with one email stating: “SCA Posts … strongly object to the … proposal”; the program “seems tailored to the organization’s objectives rather than Nepal’s needs.” Despite this, senior officials pushed the initiative forward.

McCaul highlighted the program’s constitutional implications, pointing out the double standard in its execution. “Imagine the outcry if the United States government paid for Bibles to be circulated!” he said.

The program also contradicted international standards of religious freedom, as some training materials suggested that priests distributing the Eucharist might not be protected under “freedom of religious belief.”

“This stance contradicts both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which make clear that freedom of thought, conscience, and religion includes the right of an individual ‘to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance,’ ” McCaul wrote.

The investigation uncovered ethical concerns as well, including evidence that State Department officials sought to “neutralize” incriminating evidence after the congressional inquiry began. McCaul reported that key implementers of the program misled investigators, with one implementer in Nepal falsely claiming to have no knowledge of the training sessions despite clear documentation of their involvement.

McCaul concluded that the State Department’s actions represented a misuse of taxpayer funds and a distortion of its mandate to promote religious freedom. Warning that such programs undermine the Constitution and fail to address the real needs of persecuted religious communities, he called on Congress to ensure that similar initiatives are not repeated.

“Fair-minded believers from various faith traditions, and from across the political spectrum,” he said, “must look out for wolves in sheep’s clothing.”