US Senator questions USAID’s use of US tax dollars in Jamaica

U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Mace has criticized Jamaica, along with other countries, for allegedly wrongfully benefiting from United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funding. She claims that USAID is promoting agendas that conflict with an “America first” policy.

During a House Oversight and Government Reform hearing last Wednesday, the South Carolina Republican expressed her concerns about the US$50 billion agency, which was established six decades ago to manage civilian foreign aid and development assistance. Mace argued that USAID has deviated from its original mission of advancing American interests and effectively administering aid, a stance also echoed during the Trump administration, which sought to disband the agency, sparking global concern.

Congresswoman Nancy Mace questioned whether the use of U.S. tax dollars in various countries, including Jamaica, truly put America’s interests first. She specifically highlighted a USAID grant of US$1.5 million (J$225 million) aimed at strengthening community support structures to advance LGBT rights advocacy in Jamaica, asking, “Does this advance our interest?”

Her question was directed at a panel of three governors, with two responding negatively, while one offered no stance on the matter.

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