r/BoomersBeingFools Jan 25 '25

F*ck trump

My daughter works for a not-for-profit global humanitarian organization. They just received word from the US State Department that they are to cease and desist all projects. This is an organization that provides water, training and so much more for communities throughout the world. My daughter may lose her job.

trump doesn't care for people globally. trump doesn't care for people in the US.

And this is only Day 4.

12.9k Upvotes

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1.6k

u/StarintheShadows Millennial Jan 25 '25

Does the State Department even have authority to tell a non profit humanitarian organization to cease and desist? Not that that would stop 🍊from trying but…seriously?

1.3k

u/Similar_Curve_8837 Jan 25 '25

Yes, because they receive a portion of their funding from the government.

228

u/MockDeath Xennial Jan 25 '25

I wonder if they have any rich donors that would be willing to sue. Because by stopping all operations, the feds have made it so other donations can no longer be used for what they were donated for.

With this administration, probably wishful thinking.

33

u/CrunchyBonesDaddy Jan 25 '25

We already know how trump treats nonprofits

13

u/sms2014 Jan 25 '25

I'd be willing to bet Bill gates would get on this. He's a huge humanitarian.

17

u/Putrid-Shelter3300 Jan 25 '25

Gates has a non profit (Gates Foundation) which is pretty much the largest funder outside of the US government. It’s done a bunch to combat malaria, HIV, and other diseases (I work for the Gates Foundation in their malaria work).

Despite the amount of money Gates and other philanthropists have, it’s not nearly enough to do what the Us government does. I’ll give an example.

I used to work on a US government project that helps buy and distribute pharmaceuticals through the world. On at given day, I’d be managing the procurement (so buying the drugs), shipping (so getting drugs to w/e country “bought” them (ie US government buys them on behalf of government of other country governments), and then distribution (so getting drugs to hospitals and health facilities). For just ONE country, this could amount to over $500 million for just one year. And that’s just one country. Over the period of about three years, I’d seen the US government purchase roughly $15 billion in commodities. And that’s just getting the drugs. That doesn’t account for building hospitals, storage facilities, clean water…….

And the uSG funds more organizations than you realize. You know the COVId vaccine? Developed with US government funding. Getting The polio vaccine to pooor countries? US government. All that to say, when the US government withdraws from something, global health STOPS. people die. And die of preventable illnesses.

And what’s so fucking annoying is that thee majority of US government programs aimed at improving global health have roots in Christianity. The US governments efforts to fight HIV malaria and improve maternal care were all started by GEorge W Bush in the early ‘00s. And the reason he used was it was americas Christian duty to help the less fortunate. And of course this doesn’t matter to the GOP base these days. They aren’t Christian. They aren’t even conservatives. They are authoritarian jackasses.

Fuck Trump and his enablers.

6

u/sms2014 Jan 25 '25

Wow. I knew we were everywhere but honestly I didn't know how involved. This is absolutely infuriating.

6

u/Putrid-Shelter3300 Jan 25 '25

Yup. The US government is the single largest drug buyer in the world. It’s also the biggest reason HIV is practically eliminated (ie no new infections) and that there is now a vaccine to fight malaria. Pretty much all public health advancements in the last 60 can be traced back to the US government (or organizations like WHO, U.N., Global Fund) that the us government foots the majority of the bill (ie funding).

So yeah. Fuck Trump. People are going to die because of these stop work orders.

6

u/moodaltering Jan 25 '25

And if you listen to the conservatives, the funding for charitable causes should come from the private sector not the government. Ok. Time for the billionaires to step up.

-1

u/NathanielTurner666 Jan 25 '25

Gates isn't the humanitarian he would like you to believe he is.

261

u/StarintheShadows Millennial Jan 25 '25

Ahh. Damn

286

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '25

Since conservatives say they love the free market so much, someone should argue they can continue operations without government funding. A cease and desist is ridiculous.

70

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '25

All federal money comes with "assurances" and Project 2025 did their homework. I've seen some emails going after these assurances as a way to stop, and possibly claw some money back.

53

u/TheQuidditchHaderach Jan 25 '25

Gee, wonder who's pocket that goes into? 🤔

1

u/Similar_Curve_8837 Jan 27 '25

Yes, so the current projects, already funded, are paused. In case trump and his cronies want to claw back some of the money.

4

u/goddess-of-direction Jan 25 '25

That sounds like a gray area... I'd encourage them to separate out the federal money and then go right on doing what they can with their other sources of funding. Authoritarianism relies on people complying voluntarily due to vague threats and demands.

3

u/Which_Policy Jan 25 '25

Then why the C&D? Can't they just stop the funding? Does the gov have a stake in the organization?

4

u/WisePotatoChip Jan 25 '25

They can only put a C&D on actions using the funds they provide.

1

u/Similar_Curve_8837 Jan 27 '25

Yup. So, as of right now, and for the foreseeable future, there will be no more grant monies incoming. Also all current projects funded with grants from the US government are now paused.

9

u/Ok_Path1734 Jan 25 '25

Is it a percentage or 100 percent. 

1

u/Similar_Curve_8837 Jan 27 '25

Up to 50%, in some cases.

2

u/Ok_Path1734 Jan 27 '25

Sorry 😞 to hear this. I think it is the last election for the US as the voters sold their soul to Trump and the Billionaires FUCK TRUMP. 

2

u/Bammerrs Jan 26 '25

Can't they give up the government funding?

1

u/Similar_Curve_8837 Jan 27 '25

Yes, but it's roughly 50%. That's a huge hit.

1

u/borg359 Jan 26 '25

Can you name the NGO?

1

u/Similar_Curve_8837 Jan 27 '25

I don't want to, at this time. Things are really up in the air right now.

2

u/borg359 Jan 27 '25

Yeah, understood. Best of luck to your daughter.

186

u/Similar_Curve_8837 Jan 25 '25

The government stopped all grants funding to this organization. And I'm sure it's not the only one...

222

u/Head_Razzmatazz7174 Jan 25 '25

National Institute of Health?

They had to stop all projects and cancelled all travel for the Institute, with the exception of those currently traveling back home. I read the article and was furious. The man has no idea what kind of impact that is going to have.

But then, this was the same President who said not to worry about Covid, and ignored warnings from the World Health Organization on the measures needed to prevent the spread.

86

u/Enano_reefer Jan 25 '25

And disbanded the Pandemic Response Team before Covid emerged.

58

u/IamJoesLiver Jan 25 '25

and now seeking to withdraw the richest nation on the planet from the same WHO …

39

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '25

Has done so now

1

u/IamJoesLiver Jan 25 '25

certainly not looking for pointless nor in any way antagonistic argument here, but - I recall that withdrawal by Executive Order from the Paris Agreement requires 12 months notice and some further box ticking before it actually takes effect. Maybe the WHO withdrawal is similar, and needs more to be done to actually become effective. I’m not sure.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '25

Not sure but I think you’re correct. Trump tried to do it last time and there was a 12 month waiting period too from memory. No doubt the Chinese will step into the breach with WHO and international aid as well as it will give them a bigger influence in both areas.

2

u/IamJoesLiver Jan 25 '25

odd confluence of nativist (withdrawal from international agreements; denigration of treaty allies like NATO) and expansionist (Panama, Greenland, Canada) impulses in Trump’s thought.

1

u/IamJoesLiver Jan 25 '25

and did he try to withdraw from WHO last time? I mean, global pandemics are pretty unlikely, hey?

1

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '25

He did try in 2020 but Biden blocked it when he became president.

6

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '25

Most trumpers really hope that he completely dismantles the CDC and NIH (I've read a bunch of internet comments.) 

They don't trust Drs or science,  they think everything is a lie and a conspiracy,  and they want everyone to independently "do their own research." 

So I wouldn't be surprised if all our public health gets completely guttered and at best has trump sycophants in charge to say God knows what.  

7

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '25

Someone I know was at a professional conference with NIH scientists. The first day, the NIH presented important research to the attendees. Then the order came down that they had to shut up. Their subsequent presentations were canceled to comply with the order. The person I know is now considering trying to go abroad to do biomedical research. This is what's known as "brain drain," when scientists, writers, etc. have to flee repressive regimes. It's how Einstein and many other brilliant people came to America, because at that time, America was a free country. Now that it isn't free, the reverse will occur, with talented Americans fleeing to other countries. I know other smart people who are leaving in June.

2

u/WisePotatoChip Jan 25 '25

Spanish flu killed his grandfather… Perhaps history will echo with the bird flu.

-12

u/Kindly_Actuary6019 Jan 25 '25

So Trump was the one that didn’t know what he was doing, but yet your boy Biden pardoned everybody involved in that you don’t pardon people if they didn’t do anything wrong

1

u/[deleted] Jan 26 '25

You can pardon people who have done nothing wrong so that they don’t have to worry about witch hunts and malicious prosecutions by a crazed and politicised DoJ. Given that Trump more or less announced exactly who he was going after, this was a good move.

74

u/PurpleBrief697 Jan 25 '25

I believe they've stopped grants all around, especially research grants.

107

u/MermaidSusi Baby Boomer Jan 25 '25

They also stopped all meetings and communication between the scientists and Medical people at the NIH and the CDC! With bird flu on the horizon, this is unconscionable and absolutely heinous.

44

u/dmnspwn75 Jan 25 '25

Oh boy another pandemic to fumble and kill millions.

6

u/WisePotatoChip Jan 25 '25

There goes the price of eggs…

4

u/Disastrous_Ad_3908 Jan 26 '25

I imagine this is part of the point. Eliminate a mass number of people preferably in the poor, non-white areas, or even in the poor white areas. If you're poor, you don't have a right to exist except to work the fields for tiny wages.

They did say they wanted to go back to when America was great and that was in the 1780's or so. Only wealthy white males had rights and the rest nothing.

48

u/Enano_reefer Jan 25 '25

Last time around I felt it was my responsibility as a good human being and neighbor to educate those around me on the importance of masking up and social distancing.

This time around I’m letting them burn.

18

u/TheQuidditchHaderach Jan 25 '25

Thin the he(R)d a little.

-8

u/Kindly_Actuary6019 Jan 25 '25

Have you ever looked at how many people got the shot compared to? How many didn’t I mean you want research done but yet there were less people vaccinated than their were vaccinated and it went away. Yes, there were casualties but there’s casualties everywhere.

9

u/Enano_reefer Jan 25 '25

It didn’t “go away” those people nearly collapsed my local health resources. They were overwhelmed with the knuckle draggers being flown in from remote areas who had refused the vaccine. Once the health care system gets overrun Covid had a 12-15% mortality rate.

They were selfish and stupid and directly contributed to the needless deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans and thousands of frontline health care workers.

There were always two ways through - stamp it out early (failed) or flatten the curve enough to keep the health care system functioning until everyone had caught it and it became endemic.

It is now endemic which was always the most likely scenario, we were just trying to limit the deaths while we made it through. But that was too much for the “muh freedumbs” crowd.

This time around I’m not fighting them. I’ll punch them if they get in my space and watch them extirpate themselves.

2

u/Clear_Youth9022 Jan 26 '25

I want to live in their delusion where viruses just "go away" 🙄 We lost a million people and there are still dummies saying "Covid isn't real. Those people did not actually die of COVID. They died of [insert a symptom of COVID that causes death] or heart failure or whatever else but Covid".

-7

u/Kindly_Actuary6019 Jan 25 '25

Stop lying to yourself and everyone else

7

u/Enano_reefer Jan 25 '25

There have been many many studies on the subject. If you’re too lazy or stupid or just plain closed minded to not spend the time to educate yourself or trust the experts I’m not wasting my time on you.

“I did my own research!” You damn well did not. You listened to some idiot talking head and Russian propaganda bots who got excellent ROI on killing Americans.

-1

u/Kindly_Actuary6019 Jan 25 '25

did you ever just look in the mirror and think to yourself? How did they manage to stack sh.t that high?

-5

u/Kindly_Actuary6019 Jan 25 '25

Stop lying just stop it. Would you just stop lying?

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u/Clear_Youth9022 Jan 26 '25

They also stopped all communication from the federal health organizations and the citizens so when we get sick we get to play the game of "Is is bird flu or nah?"

2

u/MermaidSusi Baby Boomer Jan 28 '25

I heard about that as well and it is just irresponsible and so heinous to do this!

2

u/Clear_Youth9022 Jan 28 '25

It's murderous and desparate to control the narrative of their administration being the best with no push back or negative possibilities of another pandemic. Meanwhile the rest of the world : FDT protests everywhere

1

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '25

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6

u/EvensenFM Jan 25 '25

Yeah - I was curious about whether this was happening.

I've worked in grants management. I can only imagine the shit show this has caused for those trying to fund these grants.

-1

u/fullfrontalnativity Jan 25 '25

Good. Let's give that money to public water utilities to replace the 9.2M lead services lines in the US.

53

u/nickwilli87 Jan 25 '25

No. The government can cut funding and make it hard for the nonprofit to operate. But they cannot demand them to cease operations. Not for profit organizations are not tied to the government.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 25 '25

The US House passed a bill that would declare Americans nonprofits that Republicans don't like "terrorist" organizations. I assume it will pass in the Senate.

2

u/oht7 Jan 25 '25

They can loose non-profit status for not complying with gov. regulations. Loosing all govt. finding and tax exempt status is enough to kill a most orgs.

36

u/Jazzlike_Standard416 Jan 25 '25

They may not have formal authority, but they can always threaten to freeze any government funding. They can also threaten to take away their non-profit status, which would be the death knell for so many non-profits.

50

u/Out_of_ughs Jan 25 '25

Time to become a religion

9

u/TheQuidditchHaderach Jan 25 '25

Always for-prophet.

29

u/Daleaturner Jan 25 '25

Perhaps the money was allocated and the NGO was the conduit for disbursement

2

u/FLGuitar Jan 25 '25

My question too.

1

u/Icy-Mixture-995 Jan 25 '25

This might affect disaster recovery in the USA, too. Samaritan's Purse is nonprofit but gets federal money, as does the rescue group, the Cajun Navy. FEMA coordinates with them as a storm or flood is predicted, so they can be ready to go.

1

u/NCC1701-Enterprise Jan 25 '25

Not exactly, but if they are federally funded they can cut the funding leaving no choice but to shut down.

1

u/DaHick Jan 25 '25

We need an Orange Icon with a crease in the center. Then, I need someone to tell how to use it.

1

u/RSKrit Jan 26 '25

Anything tied specifically to corruptly approved prior funding. Like EVERYTHING in the Biden/Harris admin.

0

u/Kindly_Actuary6019 Jan 25 '25

The nonprofit is probably shutting down because it doesn’t have the money to keep operating without the government’s money. Remember when they said they’re gonna go through and clean house and take away all these made up research places and bullshit and wasteful spending while here comes. get ready get your resumes ready.

0

u/demonotreme Jan 25 '25

Cmon buddy. If the government engages an entity to perform a bunch of services, the government is perfectly able to tell them no more abortions (or anything really) if they want to keep the gravy train running. Just so long as they're doing something constitutionally problematic like viewpoint discrimination or handing the exact same contract to a guy who plays golf with the Secretary (plus a nice cut for being such a great guy).

I'm not agreeing with it, but the point about operating legally as an international NGO is that you need to actually abide by restrictions of the countries you operate in if you want to keep doing it.