During remarks on the House floor prior to the Congressional recess, Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) spoke about funding for the Congressional Office of International Leadership.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Thank you Mr. Speaker, and I first want to say to my friend from California, I appreciate
00:05his work and this overall bill, and I know there's a lot of challenges that confront
00:11any of those decisions that the appropriators have.
00:16But I find that it's necessary that I offer my amendment to call attention to a problem
00:22and an issue, and to hopefully gain some time to solve that problem.
00:27So my amendment, Mr. Speaker, is rather simple, or Mr. Chair I should say.
00:33It eliminates funding for the Congressional Office of International Leadership, also known
00:38as COIL.
00:39Our national debt is $34 trillion, and I've been working on that in a bipartisan manner,
00:45trying to attempt to bring that down and find solutions.
00:48But we all know, and our constituents know, that whether it's gas at the pump or grocery
00:53store, American families are feeling the full impact of inflation.
00:57In the midst of this spending and affordability crisis, the American people may not be realizing
01:02that Congress is funding an office called COIL, which has been inappropriately used
01:07to host social justice-themed adventures for foreign delegations on the U.S. taxpayer dime.
01:14This is the U.S. taxpayer funding trips of foreigners to come into the United States
01:21to ostensibly learn about our system.
01:24After uncovering this office priorities earlier this year, we did a little more digging and
01:29only to find at least 13 other trips occurred in 2023 and 2024 with themes involving social
01:37advocacy or diversity, equity, and inclusion programming exclusively.
01:42For example, in March of 2023, a COIL trip came to my district without any notification
01:47or the courtesy of letting me know that there was a foreign delegation coming.
01:52This foreign delegation was treated to a trip filled with social justice and DEI messaging
01:58under the guise of, quote, civic advocacy.
02:03Stops also along the way included an evening at, quote, queer theater, a visit to a, quote,
02:09pride center and trans foundation, and many more.
02:13Other trips in 2023 and 2024 included a visit to Detroit under the theme of inclusivity
02:20and tolerance and a trip to Sacramento, California to engage in gender-related activism.
02:26American taxpayers should not be funding this, Mr. Chair, and footing the bill for these visits.
02:33And we have disagreements about whether those things are important or not or whether they
02:36should be highlighted or not.
02:38The question here is whether the taxpayer, the U.S. taxpayer, should be paying for a
02:44trip for foreigners to come to our country to learn about these things.
02:48And I kind of wonder about my friends on the other side of the aisle, because many
02:51of us believe that the shoe's going to be on the other foot after this November, whether
02:56they might be offering the exact same amendment if this COIL now was directed to do only things
03:04that dealt with fossil fuel organizations or maybe weapons manufacturers or maybe only
03:10for pro-life advocacy groups.
03:12My guess is they would have a very different view of this program.
03:16So what's more, members of Congress are shielded from conducting any oversight on these funds.
03:24Consider the process.
03:25COIL puts together a calendar of themes each year, and then COIL then grants funds under
03:32the themes selected to national and community organizations.
03:36That organization will then make a sub-grant to a local level, to an NGO, to fully implement
03:43the trip programming at their complete discretion.
03:47In other words, COIL doesn't even have any input in on this.
03:51COIL has zero say in the programming because the funds are shielded, what is essentially
03:56a pass-through entity.
03:58What are the results?
03:59Unelected bureaucrats using the American people's money to push an agenda that fits their interests,
04:04and COIL walks away with their hands clean.
04:08So again, all at the American taxpayer's expense.
04:12So while COIL has been flatlined at $6 million to fund for a number of, funding for a number
04:17of years now, the 2025 legislative branch appropriations bill actually provides a 10%
04:23increase in that funding.
04:25This is an additional $600,000 in taxpayer dollars going towards who knows what.
04:30Now I know there are positive programs, very neutral programs, consensus-building programs,
04:39whether they be regarding and surrounding veterans groups, protecting children, those
04:44with disabilities.
04:46Those are not the controversial parts.
04:48Again, I would still ask whether our U.S. taxpayer dollars should be funding that rather
04:54than an NGO or some other funding.
04:57But we have to weed this out and make sure that this is acceptable programming-wise to
05:04all American taxpayers.
05:07So Mr. Chairman, this is a common-sense step to rein in out-of-control spending by bureaucrats
05:12in Washington, and a one-year pause provides a much-needed opportunity to re-evaluate.
05:17With that, I reserve.
05:21The gentleman's time has expired.
05:24For what purpose does the gentleman from California seek recognition?
05:26Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition.
05:28The gentleman is recognized.
05:30Mr. Chair, I oppose my friend's amendment because I do not believe all the good the
05:33Congressional Office for International Leadership has done for Congress over the last 25 years
05:37should go negated by one embassy programming selection.
05:42The Congressional Office for International Leadership links members of Congress to leaders
05:45in Eurasia and Asia, and is an instrument for Americans engaged in citizen diplomacy.
05:53COILs placed as the only regularized international exchange program in the legislative branch
06:00provides opportunities for members of Congress and their constituents to engage with their
06:04peers from countries of strategic importance to the United States.
06:09COIL convenes a Congressional leadership and its constituents to provide foreign visitors
06:13with a multilevel state, federal, and local introduction to American democratic governing
06:18systems and accountable governance.
06:21This is the next generation of government and civic leaders where they begin in the
06:25halls of the most powerful legislative body in the world, the United States Congress.
06:30The exchange establishes a personal and profound connection between leaders from around the
06:34world, providing unique and meaningful insights and experiences while fostering a spirit of
06:38cooperation and mutual respect.
06:40Thousands of Americans across the country benefit from the hosting of COIL participants
06:44in their homes and communities.
06:46The agency provides an important service for a very modest amount of money.
06:50I oppose the amendment and reserve the balance of my time.
06:53The gentleman has the only time.
06:56I yield to the gentleman from New York, Mr. Espiot, for a minute and a half.
07:00Gentleman is recognized.
07:01Thank you, Mr. Chair.
07:04Chairman Valadao, this is the way government should work.
07:08I agree with the chairman, and I join the chair and rise in opposition to this amendment.
07:15At a time where international conflicts are on the rise, it is vital for America to lead
07:21and spread democracy.
07:23In fact, for 25 years, the Congressional Office of International Leadership has sponsored
07:29political and civic leaders of participating countries to exchange democratic best practices
07:37and encourage mutual understanding.
07:40In 2023, COIL brought 532 rising leaders from 24 countries to these United States, facilitated
07:49meetings with more than 100 congressional offices, and showcased 62 American communities
07:57in 37 states.
07:59Mr. Chairman, eliminating this program is another attempt to divide us further and prevent
08:05our country from doing what it does best, leading by example.
08:11I urge my colleagues to vote no on this amendment.
08:16It's not a political tool that should be exploited at this time when we face international
08:23conflicts and they're on the rise.
08:25Mr. Chairman, I'm glad that we're both on the same side on this issue, and Mr. Chair,
08:31I yield back the balance of my time.
08:33The gentleman yields.
08:34The gentleman from California is recognized.
08:36Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Nebraska, Mr. Bacon, one and a half minutes.
08:41The gentleman from Nebraska is recognized for one and a half minutes.
08:45Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
08:46I rise in opposition to this amendment.
08:48I do recognize the concerns of Mr. Huizenga.
08:51I think they should be corrected, but there's a lot of goodness in this program as well.
08:55Let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater.
08:58Early this year, we mourned the murder of Alexei Navalny by Putin, an anti-corruption
09:03activist and courageous leader of the political opposition to Putin of Russia.
09:07Navalny's legacy of leadership has been recognized and honored all over the world.
09:10While many are familiar with the renowned life of Navalny, most do not know that he
09:14first came to America in his early 20s under a congressional exchange program for emerging
09:18world leaders, the same program this amendment now seeks to defund.
09:23The Congressional Office for International Leadership, or COIL, was founded in 1999 to
09:26promote democracy and accountable governance.
09:29For more than two decades, COIL has been investing in the best and brightest young leaders from
09:33around the world to show them how government of, by, and for the people functions and remains
09:37accountable to the people it serves.
09:40Since 1999, COIL has introduced more than 30,000 young leaders to the United States
09:44of America to see firsthand what self-government looks like at the federal, state, local level
09:49in all 50 states, all for about six million a year.
09:52And I've helped host three of those delegations, two from Vietnam and one from Papua New Guinea.
09:58And I, and I was surprised to see the Vietnamese members that came here were of the initial
10:04parliament in Vietnam, seeds of democracy that we want to water, nurture, and grow.
10:09So Mr. Chair, the COIL program promotes and inspires America's foundational values.
10:14I ask my colleagues to join me in opposing the amendment, which would want, which would
10:18end one of the most cost-effective ways the United States Congress, the most powerful
10:22and consequential body in the world, can grow and inspire America's future allies and leaders.
10:28I yield back.
10:29The gentleman yields.
10:30The gentleman from California is recognized.
10:31Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.