On March 23, President Joe Biden signed into law a $1.2 trillion spending bill, after lawmakers negotiated the funding for six months and threatened a partial government shutdown.
Over the past few weeks, online social posts have highlighted alleged provisions in the bill that seem controversial and surprising, like funding for “transgender underwear for kids” and a Thanksgiving parade in Detroit. Many of these claims seem to come directly from an article published by conservative radio host Glenn Beck.
VERIFY reader Teri sent us a Facebook post describing the “top 10 worst items in the new $1.2 trillion spending bill” and asked if it was true.
THE SOURCES
- 2024 Further Consolidated Appropriations Act
- Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Relationships community project funding supplementary document
- Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies supplemental document
- Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies community project funding supplemental document
- William Way LGBT Community Center
- Briarpatch Youth Services
- The Parade Company’s New Home Project
- An article published on New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s website
- A document published on West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin’s website
- A document published on West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito’s website
- Coastal Carolina University
- U.S. Census Bureau
- Section 1226 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016
- An article published to Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski’s website
- A press release published on the website of Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.)
WHAT WE FOUND
A copypasta, which is text that gets copied and pasted repeatedly, is going around on Facebook and claims to list things that received funding through the new spending bill. While some of the claims are true, others leave out important context. Many of the claims fall under community project funding, which commonly provides states with the finances necessary to complete services as requested by senators or House representatives.
“CPF grants provide investment in a wide variety of projects such as housing, homelessness prevention, workforce training, public facilities, parks, resilience planning and other critical infrastructure and services,” the Department of Housing and Urban Development says.
The $1.2 trillion spending bill includes $293 million for community project funding and congressionally directed spending.
CLAIM #1: The $1.2 trillion spending bill includes funding for venues to host drag shows.
THE ANSWER
Posts and articles online say the bill provides funding for drag shows. That’s misleading. The bill does provide funding for an LGBT community center in Pennsylvania, which has hosted drag shows in the past, but the funding is specifically earmarked for renovations and expansions, not drag shows.
Pennsylvania Democrats Rep. Brendan Boyle, Sen. Bob Casey and Sen. John Fetterman requested $1 million for the William Way LGBT Community Center in Philadelphia. The center has hosted drag shows before, but a supplementary funding document specifies the money allocated for the center is for renovations and expansions.
The center also hosts a variety of services and activities, including counseling and support services, networking events and art exhibitions.
The request for funding was initially blocked from the bill after a viral post claimed the center was hosting sexually inappropriate programs. In a statement, the William Way LGBT Community Center said “extremists falsely stated that sexual behavior is allowed in rental programs of the Center, which is inaccurate and against our Center’s code of conduct.” Funding was ultimately reinstated when the final bill was passed.
CLAIM #2: The $1.2 trillion spending bill includes money for transgender underwear for kids.
THE ANSWER
Posts online claim the spending bill includes funding for transgender clothing and underwear through Briarpatch Youth Services in Wisconsin. The bill does include $400,000 in funding for Briarpatch Youth Services, which collects donations for homeless youth and has programming to support transgender youth, but the bill specifies that the money goes toward counseling services for at-risk youth, not underwear.
A press release published by Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who requested the funding, also specifies that the funds are to “support therapeutic and clinical counseling for youth who are experiencing homelessness.” The organization has a homeless shelter and provides individual and family counseling.
CLAIM #3: The $1.2 trillion spending bill includes funding for proms for 12 to 18 year old kids.
THE ANSWER
There is no mention of funding for proms or dances in the spending bill. It appears this claim stems from tweets critical of the $400,000 in funding Briarpatch Youth Services will receive. While Briarpatch does host a pride prom, the money allocated by the federal government is specifically for counseling services for at-risk youth.
CLAIM #4: The $1.2 trillion spending bill includes border security funding but for Jordan and Egypt.
THE ANSWER
The spending bill funds border security for a number of foreign countries, including Jordan and Egypt. It also includes border security funding for the United States.
Section 8110 of the spending bill sets aside $380 million to reimburse several countries for enhanced border security, including Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia and Oman. The majority of this funding, at least $150 million, must go to Jordan. This allotment is in line with section 1226 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016, which authorized “the Department of Defense to provide assistance on a reimbursement basis to the governments of Jordan and Lebanon for border security operations.”
According to the spending bill, $18.4 billion has been set aside “for necessary expenses of U.S. Customs and Border Protection for operations and support” in the United States. This includes $850.1 million for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection–Procurement, Construction, and Improvements. This funding covers a variety of purposes, including $283.5 million for “the acquisition and deployment of border security technologies,” $380. 9 million for “trade and travel assets and infrastructure,” and $92.1 million for “facility construction and improvements.”
CLAIM #5: The $1.2 trillion spending bill includes $300 million for Ukraine.
THE ANSWER
Section 8148 of the spending bill sets aside $300 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. These funds, available to the Secretary of Defense, will be used to “provide assistance, including training; equipment; lethal assistance; logistics support, supplies and services; salaries and stipends; sustainment; and intelligence support to the military and national security forces of Ukraine, and to other forces or groups recognized by and under the authority of the Government of Ukraine.”
CLAIM #6: The $1.2 trillion spending bill includes funding for Detroit’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade.
THE ANSWER
The bill includes $3.5 million in funding for Michigan’s Thanksgiving Parade Foundation under the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The Michigan Thanksgiving Parade Foundation, which is a part of The Parade Company, organizes America’s Thanksgiving Parade in the state. But the funding was not set aside for the parade itself, it’s for The Parade Company’s New Home Project. The Parade Company is in the process of raising $45 million to build a new headquarters and parade studio; the $3.5 million set aside in the bill will go toward its new Detroit Riverfront center. The funding was requested by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.). The headquarters will also “serve as a community destination for residents and visitors,” the Parade Company website says.
CLAIM #7: The $1.2 trillion spending bill includes funding for new kayaking in New Hampshire.
THE ANSWER
The bill includes $2.5 million in funding for outdoor recreation in Franklin, New Hampshire. The money falls under Transportation, HUD, and Relationships community project funding.
While the document does not specify what type of recreation the funding is for, an article published on the website of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who requested the funding, says it will be used to complete “in-river features suitable for Olympic-style competition,” including “a ledge-hole feature to allow for whitewater kayaking.”
CLAIM #8: The $1.2 trillion spending bill includes funding for a bike park in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia, a town with a population of less than 2,300.
THE ANSWER
The bill includes $2.6 million in funding for recreation in White Sulphur Springs in West Virginia, through community project funding listed under Transportation, HUD, and Relationships. The funding was requested by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.). White Sulphur Springs had an estimated population of 2,170 people in 2022, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
The document does not specify that this funding will be used to construct a bike park. A document published by Manchin says the money was requested to construct “a recreational facility,” while a document published by Capito says the funding is “to encourage tourism and outdoor recreation.”
CLAIM #9: The $1.2 trillion spending bill includes funding for a new trail for Coastal Carolina University.
THE ANSWER
The bill includes $5 million in funding for Coastal Carolina University’s Coastal Carolina Pedway, under Transportation, HUD, and Relationships community project funding.
The university has considered building a pedestrian overpass for years to improve safety around Highway 544, which runs along the campus. The funding was requested by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
CLAIM #10: The $1.2 trillion spending bill includes funding for Alaska king crab enhancement.
THE ANSWER
The bill includes $4 million in funding for the Alaska King Crab Enhancement Project, under Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies community project funding.
In an article published on the website of Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who pushed for the funding, the $4 million is for “the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation to conduct research on Bristol Bay red king crab enhancement, including optimum rearing conditions, habitat, growth, and survival through rearing stages and post release.”
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