U.S. leaders on Capitol Hill made it crystal clear: Fostering democracy abroad isn’t optional—it’s a national security imperative. The National Endowment for Democracy stands tall as the go-to mechanism for advancing American goals in hostile terrains.
A focused oversight session unpacked the alignment of democratic investments with overarching diplomacy and the pushback against authoritarian giants. Lawmakers crowned NED as the strategic core of this endeavor.
Subcommittee head Mario Diaz-Balart hailed NED’s toolkit for priorities like upholding faith freedoms amid China’s shadow and Nicaragua’s strife, plus championing rebels in Cuba and beyond.
These efforts anchor U.S. foreign affairs and defenses, Diaz-Balart stressed—vital for adversary neutralization, interest protection, and freedom solidarity.
From anti-Soviet foundations in the ’80s, NED adapts to modern menaces that threaten liberty and stability alike.
Lois Frankel reframed it strategically: Preventive security at a steal, dwarfing war’s tab. NED’s transparency and universal ethos blunt accusations of empire-building.
CEO Damon Wilson quantified the stakes: Freedom support is economic armor. Fragile systems spawn threats; citizen-led societies partner reliably.
In the geopolitical ring, NED builds resilient democracies. Ukraine resists Putin thanks to its aid; China’s dissident-quashing stations worldwide got busted; Bolivia’s lithium stayed out of Russia-China clutches.
Lean and mean—84% frontline funding—NED maximizes bang for the security buck. Launched by Congress in 1983 as an independent force, it remains democracy’s global enforcer.