George Santos Seeks to Halt U.S. Aid to Anti-LGBTQ+ Countries
George Santos, New York’s recently elected representative for the third congressional district, is the first gay Republican to be publicly open about his sexuality prior to his initial election. Even though Santos identifies as part of the LGBTQ community, he still chooses to embrace far-right and discriminatory ideas and is an advocator for the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in Florida prohibiting K-3 teachers from teaching their students about gender identity or sexual orientation. If such topics are discussed within the classroom, teachers could face prosecution and be stripped of their teaching licenses.
Upon assuming office in January of 2023, Santos has become an even more controversial figure due to numerous criminal accusations made against the representative and false statements made by Santos himself.
Since the fall of 2022, he has been accused of sexual harassment, check fraud, and ATM fraud alongside being caught in various lies regarding his work history, family, religion, education, and more.
On March 23, a bill titled House Resolution 1736, Equality and Fiscal Accountability Protection Act of 2023, was filed by the representative seeking to halt all U.S. Federal aid to anti-LGBTQ countries. Santos stated in a press release that “my bill will send a clear message that the United States will not offer federal aid to countries found to be violating the rights of individuals based on sexual orientation. We as a nation have a responsibility to stand up for the human rights of all people, regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation.”
Since its introduction, the bill has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs where it is currently under review. If passed, the bill will obligate the State Department to inquire about a country’s human rights record prior to providing any sort of financial assistance. All countries that are in violation of human rights will be prohibited from receiving U.S. aid until they make the decision to address their civil issues on a larger scale.
House Resolution 1736 will allow the U.S. to show other countries that they do not support any laws or policies discriminating or criminalizing a person based on their sexual orientation, race, or religion. It is still unknown if gender identity will be included in this bill as Santos’s staff has not released any information clarifying the matter.
It has been questioned whether Santos should have been allowed to introduce his bill on account of his criminal actions and false claims, and is currently under investigation for his offenses by the House Ethics Committee. Contradictory to Santos’s widely known anti-LGBTQ views, this bill could pave a reconditioned path for the distribution of U.S. aid amongst foreign countries.
Image courtesy of The Hill and Andrew Harnik
