DHS Reportedly Spent Congressional Funds Meant To Counter China On America250, FIFA World Cup
The Department of Homeland Security used anti-China funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on security for FIFA World Cup matches and other events, Punchbowl News first reported Friday.
The Department of Homeland Security used anti-China funding from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on security for FIFA World Cup matches and other events, Punchbowl News first reported Friday.
The OBBB Act had set aside $170 million in funding for initiatives aiming to combat potential national security threats from China’s illegal fishing operations globally, according to Punchbowl News. However, an anonymous senior congressional official and an unnamed Trump administration official told the outlet that DHS had instead disbursed most of that funding toward security for World Cup matches, America’s 250th anniversary festivities and other major U.S. sporting events.
Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz notched the $170 million in the OBBB Act for “maritime domain awareness” technology programs that can be utilized to track Chinese vessels, Punchbowl News reported. Cruz told the outlet that he has “sought to provide resources for those programs, but unfortunately the bulk of the funding has not gone where it needed to go.”
DHS did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.