State Department obligated $176.9 million hours before lapse despite objections

The State Department obligated $176.9 million from its Human Rights and Democracy Fund to 43 grantees on Sept. 30, 2026, hours before the money lapsed despite congressional requests not to do so, a source familiar with negotiations said. Congress appropriated $205 million for the fund. The administration had pushed for the slate, which critics said bolsters right-wing and conservative causes.