Washington lawmakers and Trump administration officials firmly declared that advancing democracy worldwide stands as a cornerstone of America’s national security strategy. During a pivotal oversight hearing on Capitol Hill, they spotlighted the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) as a frontline instrument in safeguarding U.S. interests abroad.
The subcommittee on National Security, the State Department, and related programs delved deeply into how support for democratic institutions abroad aligns with broader foreign policy goals and counters geopolitical rivalry from authoritarian powers. Lawmakers repeatedly affirmed NED’s mandate and operations as integral to the U.S. national security framework.
Subcommittee Chairman Mario Diaz-Balart emphasized that NED’s efforts are ‘a vital tool in advancing the administration’s foreign policy priorities.’ He cited specific examples, including protecting international religious freedom in places like Nigeria, Nicaragua, and communist China, while backing freedom fighters in Iran, North Korea, and Cuba.
‘Democracy and human rights are fundamental to our foreign policy and national security,’ Diaz-Balart asserted. He stressed that NED and similar accountable democracy programs are essential for confronting adversaries, promoting American security interests, and standing with those battling for liberty.
Recalling NED’s origins in the 1980s to counter the Soviet empire’s brutality, Diaz-Balart noted that while the USSR is gone, threats to freedom and U.S. security persist and have evolved significantly.
Ranking Member Lois Frankel framed democracy support as a deterrent security policy. ‘It’s not charity; it’s prevention. It’s for our own national security, and it’s cost-effective,’ she said. The resources invested in democracy pale compared to the costs of instability escalating into war.
Addressing critics who claim democracy promotion serves U.S. geopolitical aims, Frankel defended NED’s work as ‘independent and transparent, recognized by Congress, and grounded in universal principles.’
NED President and CEO Damon Wilson told lawmakers that supporting freedom-seekers is a ‘strategic investment in American national and economic security.’ In regions with weak democratic institutions and free markets, conflict, drug trafficking, human smuggling, terrorism, refugee flows, and repressive economic practices flourish. Societies where citizens shape their futures become stable U.S. partners.
Wilson linked democracy promotion directly to geopolitical competition, explaining how NED helps partners build effective democracies and defend fundamental freedoms amid rising repression. In Ukraine, NED bolsters resilience against Kremlin aggression. In China, NED-backed researchers exposed over 100 CCP police stations in 53 countries silencing dissenters. In Bolivia, NED partners prevented Moscow and Beijing from controlling the world’s largest lithium reserves.
Highlighting efficiency, Wilson noted that 84 cents of every NED dollar reaches the front lines, making it one of the most cost-effective national security investments. Established by Congress in 1983 as a publicly funded yet formally independent nonprofit during the Cold War, NED continues its mission to support democratic movements globally.