Congressional testimony: USAID funds aided Hamas and other terror groups

A congressional hearing on Wednesday scrutinized claims that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) inadvertently funneled $2 billion in taxpayer funds to Hamas and other Islamist terror groups, potentially bolstering their operations during the Gaza war that began with the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.

The session, held by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency, titled “America Last: How Foreign Aid Undermined U.S. Interests Around the World,” probed alleged mismanagement and corruption at USAID. Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum, delivered the stark testimony, asserting that U.S. aid sustained Hamas until a recent ceasefire.

Questioned by Representative Tim Burchett, Republican of Tennessee, Roman listed groups beyond the Taliban that he said benefited from USAID funds, including Al-Shabab in Somalia, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham in Syria. “Dozens of terror organizations have received indirect assistance from U.S. foreign aid,” he told the panel.

Focusing on Gaza, Roman claimed that $2.1 billion in U.S. aid flowed there since the Oct. 7 assault, bypassing standard vetting due to emergency waivers. “Ninety percent of aid ended up in Hamas-controlled areas,” he said, calling it “ridiculous” and arguing it lacked strategic oversight. “What U.S. assistance did was underwrite Hamas’s ability to survive until the ceasefire.”

Roman agreed with Burchett’s assertion that this aid effectively armed terrorists to target civilians, a point that drew sharp reactions. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman called the testimony “maddening and heartbreaking,” alleging USAID’s director—Samantha Power, who served as U.N. ambassador under President Obama—facilitated the transfers. Power’s tenure at the U.N. included a controversial 2016 anti-Israel resolution, a history Friedman tied to the current claims, though USAID has not yet responded to the allegations.

The hearing follows broader scrutiny of USAID, spurred by the subcommittee’s investigations into waste and fraud. Burchett has introduced the No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act to block foreign aid from reaching terror groups, reflecting growing Republican pressure to reform U.S. assistance programs.

Roman’s testimony painted a picture of systemic lapses, noting that emergency authorizations skipped checks against State Department and Treasury terror lists. Critics, including Friedman, argue this reflects a failure to prioritize U.S. interests, while supporters of aid programs caution that humanitarian needs in crisis zones often complicate distribution.

The controversy adds fuel to an ongoing debate over foreign aid accountability, with implications for U.S. policy in the Middle East and beyond. USAID has faced separate calls for restructuring, including recent plans to cut 2,000 jobs amid budget pressures. Neither the agency nor the State Department immediately commented on Roman’s claims.

Arutz Sheva contributed to this article.