The Republican Party is filled with RINOs. There’s no low too low for them.
And now over 80 Republicans joined with Democrats for a massively consequential vote.
Uniparty Betrayal: House Rejects Push to Defund Controversial NED
In a disappointing display of establishment resistance, the House of Representatives voted down an amendment to eliminate $315 million in taxpayer funding for the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and related State Department programs.
On January 14, 2026, Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ) introduced the measure as part of a larger government spending package, aiming to strip what critics call a notorious deep state slush fund.
The amendment failed decisively, 127-291, with 81 Republicans crossing over to join Democrats in preserving the money. This outcome keeps the funding intact—for now—as the bill heads to the Senate. The NED, originally created during the Reagan era to promote democracy abroad, has faced mounting accusations of straying far from its mission into partisan territory.
Exposing the “Slush Fund” Allegations and Misuse of Funds
Critics argue that NED has become a vehicle for global censorship, domestic propaganda, and anti-conservative activities, far removed from genuine democracy promotion.
Reports highlight how the organization funneled money to groups like the Global Disinformation Index in 2020, which blacklisted conservative media outlets as disinformation risks, cutting off their ad revenue and targeting right-leaning voices.
Rep. Eli Crane laid out the case on the House floor: “Although its name suggests a force for good, its mission has drifted far from its Cold War origins. This is a classic tactic of the swamp, where bad policy and corruption hide behind a noble title… We’ve learned that this organization has engaged in global censorship, domestic propaganda, and regime change politics.”
The White House, under President Trump, has recommended fully defunding NED, pointing to evidence of it bankrolling attacks on Republicans and blacklisting conservative outlets. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) echoed the frustration: “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.”
These concerns paint NED as an unaccountable outlet for wasting American taxpayer dollars on agendas that often undermine U.S. interests and conservative principles at home and abroad.
Conservatives Vow to Keep Fighting Despite Setback
After the vote, Rep. Crane didn’t mince words about the cross-aisle coalition that saved the funding: “Tonight, the Uniparty rejected my amendment to defund NED… [Eighty-one] ‘republicans’ voted with democrats to fund this rogue organization that fuels global censorship and domestic propaganda.”
The defeat highlights ongoing internal GOP tensions, where a solid bloc of conservatives—mostly from the more principled wing—backed the defund effort, only to be thwarted by moderates siding with Democrats. Supporters of fiscal responsibility and America First priorities see this as another example of why bloated, questionable foreign spending needs scrutiny, especially when domestic needs go unmet.
While Democrats defended NED’s work in areas like documenting war crimes in Ukraine or fighting corruption elsewhere, skeptics question whether these noble-sounding efforts justify the unchecked flow of hundreds of millions in U.S. funds to an organization accused of bias and overreach. The fight isn’t over—conservatives are signaling they’ll continue pressing to rein in what they view as a wasteful and ideologically skewed slush fund.
