The U.S. Senate on Monday evening approved a 5,593-page spending bill, which now goes to the president. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who apparently is a Republican, informs us it’s a “COVID-19 relief package.”

Sen. Rand Paul, who actually is a Republican, is more honest. He calls it a “monstrosity.”

That’s the simple truth. A growing number of Americans are out of work or unable to work because of lockdowns, but Congress has decided to divert billions of dollars to Afghanistan’s “infrastructure repair,” Cameroon’s “maritime security programs,” and for Sri Lanka’s “refurbishing of a high endurance cutter.” Perhaps the Cameroonians can stop killing English speakers long enough to say thanks.

Our ruling elites do not want us asking questions about this bill. That would be inconvenient. That is why it was rushed through. Rep. Thomas Massie, another honest Republican, quips: “I predict the day our country’s finances collapse, we will still be funding ‘gender programs in Pakistan.'” Perhaps the $10 million grant to Pakistan will include an export of California’s anal sex programs for pre-teens, which that majority-Muslim country will surely appreciate.

As statues of great Americans are toppled, U.S. taxpayers are forced to fund “programs to promote and preserve Tibetan culture” and “cultural and historical preservation for Tibetan communities.” It would be impolitic to suggest that Tibetan culture might be delightful and all that, but perhaps “historical preservation” should start at home.

It will come as a surprise to everyone that Israel, which we are told is our closest ally that has a functioning democracy, has proven the most adept at extracting cash from our American treasury. The legislation also lectures Arabs that their 1997 boycott of Israel must be “immediately and publicly terminated,” because clearly that’s the most important thing on Americans’ minds right about now.

McConnell claimed that Congress should approve the bill because “the American people need more help.” In reality normal Americans seem to be the last to get it. This is how an empire collapses.

Examples of foreign countries receiving handouts from the legislation are below.

Afghanistan

For the ‘‘Afghanistan Security Forces Fund’’, $3,047,612,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022.. to the security forces of Afghanistan, including the provision of equipment, supplies, services, training, facility and infrastructure repair, renovation, construction, and funding…

Bangladesh

BANGLADESH.—Of the funds appropriated under titles III and IV of this Act, not less than $198,323,000 shall be made available for assistance for Bangladesh…

Belize

Of the funds appropriated by this Act under titles III and IV, $505,925,000 should be made available for assistance for Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras…

Burma

not less than $134,950,000 shall be made available for assistance for Burma…

Funds appropriated under title III of this Act for assistance for Burma shall be made available for community-based organizations…

Cameroon

Funds appropriated under title IV of this Act that are made available for assistance for the armed forces of Cameroon, including the Rapid Intervention Battalion, may only be made available to counter regional terrorism, including Boko Haram and other Islamic State affiliates, participate in international peacekeeping operations, and for military education and maritime security programs…

LAKE CHAD BASIN COUNTRIES.—Funds appropriated under titles III and IV of this Act shall be made available for assistance for Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria for democracy, development, and health programs…

Central African Republic

Of the funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’, not less than $3,000,000 shall be made available for a contribution to the Special Criminal Court in Central African Republic…

Chad

LAKE CHAD BASIN COUNTRIES.—Funds appropriated under titles III and IV of this Act shall be made available for assistance for Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria for democracy, development, and health programs…

China

Funds appropriated by this Act and prior Acts making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs that are made available for programs in the People’s Republic of China may be used to counter the impact of Chinese influence and investments in the Greater Mekong Subregion…

Colombia

Of the funds appropriated by this Act under titles III and IV, not less than $461,375,000 shall be made available for assistance for Colombia…

Costa Rica

Of the funds appropriated by this Act under titles III and IV, $505,925,000 should be made available for assistance for Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Of the funds appropriated under titles III and IV of this Act, not less than $325,000,000 shall be made available for assistance for the Democratic Republic of the Congo…

Egypt

Of the funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Foreign Military Financing Program’’, $1,300,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022, should be made available for assistance for Egypt…

Of the funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’, not less than $125,000,000 shall be made available for assistance for Egypt, of which $40,000,000 should be made available for higher education programs, including not less than $15,000,000 for scholarships for Egyptian students with high financial need to attend not-for-profit institutions of higher education in Egypt that are currently accredited by a regional accrediting agency…

Under the heading ‘‘Operation and Maintenance, Defense Wide’’, for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, $250,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022, shall be available to reimburse Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Oman under section 1226 of the National Defense Authorization Act…

El Salvador

Of the funds appropriated by this Act under titles III and IV, $505,925,000 should be made available for assistance for Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama

Georgia

GEORGIA.—Of the funds appropriated by this Act under titles III and IV, not less than $132,025,000 shall be made available for assistance for Georgia…

Guatemala

Of the funds appropriated by this Act under titles III and IV, $505,925,000 should be made available for assistance for Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama

Honduras

Of the funds appropriated by this Act under titles III and IV, $505,925,000 should be made available for assistance for Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama

India

In order to further the shared ideals and values of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr, the Secretary of State should establish, in cooperation with the appropriate representatives of the Government of India, a professional exchange program known as the ‘‘Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative’’. The initiative should be comprised of the following:

(1) An annual educational forum for scholars from the United States and India that focuses on the social justice and human and civil rights legacies of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., up to $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2021 to the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development; and section 335, up to an additional $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2025 to the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development…

(B) Of the funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’, not less than $6,000,000 shall be made available for programs to promote and preserve Tibetan culture and language in the refugee and diaspora Tibetan communities…

Iraq

For the ‘‘Counter-Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Train and Equip Fund’’, $710,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022…

Funds appropriated by this Act and prior Acts making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs under the heading ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’ may be made available notwithstanding any other provision of law for assistance for ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq and Syria.

Israel

That of the funds appropriated under this heading, not less than $3,300,000,000 shall be available for grants only for Israel which shall be disbursed within 30 days of enactment of this Act: Provided further, That to the extent that the Government of Israel requests that funds be used for such purposes, grants made available for Israel under this heading shall, as agreed by the United States and Israel, be available for advanced weapons systems…

of which not less than $795,300,000 shall be available for the procurement in Israel of defense articles and defense services, including research and development: Provided further, That funds appropriated or otherwise made available under this heading shall be nonrepayable notwithstanding any requirement in section 23 of the Arms Export Control Act…

Of the amounts appropriated in this Act under the headings ‘‘Procurement, Defense-Wide’’ and ‘‘Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Defense Wide’’, $500,000,000 shall be for the Israeli Cooperative Programs: Provided, That of this amount, $73,000,000 shall be for the Secretary of Defense to provide to the Government of Israel for the procurement of the Iron Dome defense system..

$1,701,417,000 is designated by the Congress for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(ii) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985; not less than $35,000,000 shall be made available to respond to small-scale emergency humanitarian requirements; and $5,000,000 shall be made available for refugees resettling in Israel…

the authority of section 23(a) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2763) may be used to provide financing to Israel, Egypt, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and major non-NATO allies…

the Arab League boycott, which was regrettably reinstated in 1997, should be immediately and publicly terminated, and the Central Office for the Boycott of Israel immediately disbanded…

all Arab League states should normalize relations with their neighbor Israel…

LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE.—None 25 of the funds appropriated under titles III through VI of this Act may be provided to support a Palestinian state unless the Secretary of State determines and certifies to the appropriate congressional committees that (1) the governing entity of a new Palestinian state (A) has demonstrated a firm commitment to peaceful co-existence with the State of Israel…

None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be made available in support of the United Nations Human Rights Council unless the Secretary of State determines and reports to the Committees on Appropriations that participation in the Council is important to the national interest of the United States and that such Council is taking significant steps to remove Israel as a permanent agenda item and ensure integrity in the election of members to such Council…

ESTABLISHMENT.—Beginning on the date that is one year after the date of enactment of this section, the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development is authorized to establish a program to provide funding for projects to help build the foundation for peaceful co-existence between Israelis and Palestinians and for a sustainable two-state solution…

Jordan

JORDAN.—Of the funds appropriated by this Act under titles III and IV, not less than $1,650,000,000 shall be made available for assistance for Jordan, of which: not less than $845,100,000 shall be made available for budget support for the Government of Jordan…

SEC. 9011. Up to $500,000,000 of funds appropriated by this Act for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency in ‘‘Operation and Maintenance, Defense-Wide’’ may be used to provide assistance to the Government of Jordan to support the armed forces of Jordan..

SEC. 9026. Of the amounts appropriated in this title under the heading ‘‘Operation and Maintenance, Defense18 Wide’’, for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, $250,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022, shall be available to reimburse Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Oman…

Kuwait

During the current fiscal year, the Department of Defense is authorized to incur obligations of not to exceed $350,000,000 for purposes specified in section 2350j(c) of title 10, United States Code, in anticipation of receipt of contributions, only from the Government of Kuwait..

Laos

Of the funds appropriated under titles III and IV of this Act, not less than $80,930,000 shall be made available for assistance for Laos…

Lebanon

under the heading ‘‘Operation and Maintenance, Defense Wide’’, for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, $250,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022, shall be available to reimburse Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Oman

Liberia

EXTENSION OF PERIOD FOR ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS FOR CERTAIN LIBERIAN NATIONALS.

Section 7611(b)(1)(A) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116–92) is amended by striking ‘‘1 year’’ and inserting ‘‘2 23 years’’.

Libya

Funds appropriated under titles III and IV of this Act shall be made available for stabilization assistance for Libya, including sup-

Malawi

Of the funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Development Assistance’’, not less than $60,000,000 shall be made available for assistance for Malawi…

Mexico

It is the policy of the United States— to continue deepening economic cooperation between the United States and Mexico;

IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State shall develop a strategy to carry out the policy described in section 1903, to include prioritizing and expanding educational and professional exchange programs with Mexico through frameworks such as those referred to in section 1903(2)…

Micronesia

For payments to States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, Micronesia, the Northern Marianas, and American Samoa, $538,447,000…

Morocco

MOROCCO. AVAILABILITY AND CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT. - Funds this Act shall be made available for assistance for the Western Sahara…

Nepal

not less than $130,265,000 shall be made available for assistance for Nepal…

Niger

LAKE CHAD BASIN COUNTRIES.—Funds appropriated under titles III and IV of this Act shall be made available for assistance for Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria…

Nigeria

LAKE CHAD BASIN COUNTRIES.—Funds appropriated under titles III and IV of this Act shall be made available for assistance for Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria…

Oman

$250,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022, shall be available to reimburse Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Oman

Pakistan

The terms and conditions of section 7044(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2019 (division F of Public Law 116–6) shall continue in effect during fiscal year 2021.

ASSISTANCE.—Of the funds appropriated under title III of this Act that are made available for $15,000,000 shall be made available for democracy programs and not less than $10,000,000 shall be made available for gender programs…

Panama

Of the funds appropriated by this Act under titles III and IV, $505,925,000 should be made available for assistance for Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama…

Peru

Funds appropriated under title III of this Act and prior Acts making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs shall be made available for assistance for communities in countries supporting or otherwise impacted by refugees from Venezuela, including Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Curacao, and Trinidad and Tobago…

Philippines

None of the funds appropriated by this Act may be made available for counternarcotics assistance for the Philippines, except for drug demand reduction, maritime law enforcement, or transnational interdiction…

Somalia

For the costs, as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, of modifying loans and loan guarantees, as the President may determine, for which funds have been appropriated or otherwise made available for programs within the International Affairs Budget Function 150, including the cost of selling, reducing, or canceling amounts owed to the United States as a result of concessional loans made to eligible countries, pursuant to part V of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, $15,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2023.

In addition, for the costs, as defined in section 502 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, of modifying loans and loan guarantees for Somalia or credits extended to Somalia, as the President may determine, including the cost of selling, reducing, or cancelling amounts owed to the United States, in the event that Somalia has met the domestic and internationally-agreed conditions and such modification is consistent with United States law and foreign policy considerations, $78,000,000, to remain available until expended…

South Sudan

Of the funds appropriated under title III of this Act that are made available for assistance for South Sudan, not less than $15,000,000…

Sri Lanka

Funds appropriated under title III of this Act shall be made available for assistance for Sri Lanka

Of the funds appropriated by this Act and prior Acts making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs under the heading ‘‘Foreign Military Financing Program’’, up to $15,000,000 may be made available for assistance for Sri Lanka for the refurbishing of a high endurance cutter…

Sudan

For an additional amount for ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’, $700,000,000, to remain available until Sep4 tember 30, 2022, which shall be for assistance for Sudan…

Syria

For the ‘‘Counter-Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Train and Equip Fund’’, $710,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022..

Taiwan

PAYMENT TO THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE IN TAIWAN - For necessary expenses to carry out the Taiwan Relations Act (Public Law 96–8), $31,963,000…

POLICY.—It is the policy of the United States to advocate for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the United Nations, the World Health Assembly, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization, and other international bodies, as appropriate, and to advocate for Taiwan’s membership in the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and other international organizations for which statehood is not a requirement for membership.

Thailand

Funds appropriated under title III of this Act for assistance for Burma shall be made available for community-based organizations operating in Thailand…

Tibet

Of the funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’, not less than $6,000,000 shall be made available for programs to promote and preserve Tibetan culture and language…

Of the funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’, not less than $3,000,000 shall be made available for programs to strengthen the capacity of the Central Tibetan Administration…

The President is authorized to provide assistance to nongovernmental organizations to support inclusive economic growth, resilience, global health, education, environmental stewardship, and cultural and historical preservation for Tibetan communities…

The Secretary should seek to establish a United States consulate in Lhasa, Tibet…

TIBETAN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.—There is authorized to be appropriated $675,000 for each of the fiscal years 2021 through 2025 to carry out the Tibetan scholarship program…

There is authorized to be appropriated $8,000,000 for each year of the fiscal years 2021 through 2025 under chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq.) to support activities for Tibetan communities…

…appropriated $6,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2021 through 2025 under chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq.) for programs to promote and preserve Tibetan culture…

Tunisia

Of the amounts appropriated in this title under the heading ‘‘Operation and Maintenance, Defense Wide’’, for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, $250,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022, shall be available to reimburse Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Oman…

Ukraine

Of the funds appropriated by this Act under titles III and IV, not less than $453,000,000 shall be made available for assistance for Ukraine…

Of the amounts appropriated in this title under the heading ‘‘Operation and Maintenance, Defense Wide’’, for the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, $275,000,000, of which $137,500,000 to remain available until September 30, 2022 shall be for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative…

Venezuela

Of the funds appropriated by this Act under the heading ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’, not less than $33,000,000 shall be made available for democracy programs for Venezuela…

Vietnam

Of the funds appropriated under titles III and IV of this Act, not less than $169,739,000 shall be made available for assistance for Vietnam…

Yemen

Funds appropriated under title III and under the headings ‘‘International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement’’ and ‘‘Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related Programs’’ of this Act and prior Acts making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs shall be made available for health, humanitarian, and stabilization assistance for Yemen…