House Appropriators Block State Department Money to Organization Calling Americans ‘Opponents of Ukraine’

The House Appropriations Committee moved to block State Department funding for an international nonprofit that accuses Americans and U.S. organizations of being “opponents of Ukraine.” 

The move comes one day after Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., sent a letter to top House appropriators asking to end U.S. support for the Ukrainian reporting nonprofit called the DATA Journalism Agency, also known as TEXTY. 

The TEXTY list includes 77 organizations and 388 individuals, including former President Donald Trump and 115 Republican House members, it labels enemies of Ukraine. This includes The Heritage Foundation and its president, Kevin Roberts.

“I was just designated an ‘opponent of Ukraine,’ after being sanctioned by the Russian regime,” Banks said in a public statement. 

The Russian government sanctioned Banks in April 2022. 

Two State Department agencies partnered with the DATA Journalism Agency: the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID.

During a full committee markup on Wednesday of the fiscal year 2025 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs funding bill, House Republicans on the committee passed a provision to prohibit funding for TEXTY. 

“I’m not bothered by what foreign nations think of me. But it’s shameful for our agencies to be using Hoosiers’ tax dollars to collaborate with foreign groups that attempt to intimidate U.S. citizens and lawmakers,” Banks continued. “I’d like to thank the Republicans on the Appropriations Committee for defunding any such work with the DATA Journalism Agency.”

The Banks letter on Tuesday went to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., and Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Chairman Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla.

Like any budget bill, the funding measure has to be approved by the House and a Democrat-controlled Senate before going to President Joe Biden’s desk.