Senator Mike Lee Wants Answers [WATCH]

Sen. Mike Lee provided an update on Senate action related to a vote to defund the U.S. African Development Foundation, saying the measure failed despite support from the agency’s own leadership and allegations of waste, fraud, and abuse.

Lee spoke publicly shortly after the vote, explaining that the roll call was still underway as he stepped out to address the outcome and the circumstances surrounding the proposal. The effort to defund USADF required only a simple majority to pass.

“The votes are still ongoing. I just stepped outside for a moment to give you an update on the US ADF vote we cast it just a few minutes ago,” Lee said.

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According to Lee, the push to defund the agency was not driven solely by outside critics but was supported internally by USADF leadership.

He said the acting chairman and chief executive officer of the agency backed defunding following serious findings involving senior financial leadership.

“Now keep in mind this vote to defund us ADF was supported by the acting chairman and CEO of us ADF itself, and his call to defund it was based on an indictment and a guilty plea of this chief financial officer, among other things, that led to him calling it a culture of waste, fraud, and abuse,” Lee said.

Lee also said concerns about the agency were echoed by a federal oversight entity, which reinforced the expectation that the measure would pass with relative ease.

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“It was also echoed by the Department of War’s DOGE office, and this was said the simple majority threshold should have been easy,” Lee said.

He emphasized that Republicans, acting on their own, had enough votes to approve the measure without Democratic support but ultimately did not do so.

“Republicans, acting alone, could have, would have, and should have defunded this today,” Lee said.

Instead, the proposal was blocked through a procedural move that halted consideration of the measure.

Lee described how the final vote unfolded, noting that Democrats were unified in opposition and were joined by a small number of Republicans.

“But instead, what was the result? Well, it was defeated,” Lee said.

“All Democrats voted to table it, and they were joined by just enough Republicans, just a small handful of them, to table this measure with a vote of 58 to 42.”

The vote to table the proposal effectively stopped the defunding effort, despite the allegations cited by agency leadership and the guilty plea entered by the former chief financial officer.

Lee indicated that he expects further explanation from lawmakers who opposed the measure, particularly those within his own party who voted to block it.

“I look forward, let’s just say to hearing my colleagues explain this vote,” Lee said.

WATCH:

The U.S. African Development Foundation is a federally funded agency tasked with promoting economic development initiatives in Africa. The failed vote leaves the agency funded for now, even as questions raised by its leadership and federal oversight offices remain unresolved.

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