U.S. Congressman Riley M. Moore has applauded House passage of the Fiscal Year 2027 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) Appropriations Act which withheld 100% aid to Nigeria over the persecution of Christians in the country.
While House initially approved 50% withholding of assistance as proposed by Congressman Moore, an amendment sponsored by Congressman Gregory Steube to withhold all US assistance to Nigeria until the country meets specific conditions to tackle violence was later adopted by the House of Representatives.
The amendment, approved by a voice vote on Wednesday, was added to the fiscal 2027 State Department spending bill, which the House later passed 217-209 largely along party lines.
Announcing the vote on X, Steube wrote: “My amendment to withhold 100% of U.S. aid to Nigeria until its government stops the slaughter of Christians has passed. American taxpayers should never bankroll governments that turn a blind eye while Christians are abducted, tortured, and murdered. No more wasteful foreign aid!”
Meanwhile, the statement by Congressman Moore on the passage of the Act reads: “Christians in Nigeria continue to endure horrific violence, murder, and persecution while a majority of the world turns a blind eye to their suffering. President Trump has taken bold actions to strike the terrorists in Nigeria, and this bill sends a clear message that the United States will continue to stand with persecuted Christians across the globe, especially in Nigeria.
“The bill conditions US assistance to Nigeria on tangible progress in protecting Christians, particularly in addressing the threat posed by Fulani terrorists and returning internally displaced people to their ancestral lands. The bill also provides funding to support training and increasing accountability for police forces in Nigeria, and reaffirms the recommendations made in my recommendations to President Trump.
This important bill also holds foreign governments accountable and ensures American taxpayer dollars advance our national interests. I was proud to secure provisions that strengthen accountability, combat human trafficking, protect free speech, push back on mass migration, and advance President Trump’s America First foreign policy.”
The statement noted that Congressman Moore, alongside NSRP Chairman Mario Diaz-Balart, “secured several provisions in both the NSRP appropriations bill and the accompanying committee report focused on combating religious persecution, particularly against Christian communities in Nigeria.
“Among Rep. Moore’s victories are provisions conditioning 50% of U.S. assistance to Nigeria on measurable actions to U.S. assistance to Nigeria based upon Nigeria’s measurable actions to protect Christians against religiously-motivated violence. Rep. Moore also secured language prioritizing law enforcement partnerships with Nigeria, expanding efforts to prevent atrocities and human trafficking, documenting the effects of mass migration on host populations, protecting natural rights and national sovereignty initiatives, and preserving longstanding pro-life protections.
“The legislation also includes language directing the State Department to report to Congress and the President on efforts needed to end targeted violence against Christians in Nigeria, dedicates funding to combat ritualized murder and organ trafficking in Africa, strengthens oversight of foreign assistance programs, and restricts the use of federal funds for censorship activities directed at American citizens.”
The underlying bill by Moore had originally proposed withholding 50 per cent of funds appropriated for Nigeria until the US Secretary of State certifies that the country has taken “effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable” but Steube’s amendment raises that threshold to 100 per cent, while leaving the certification conditions unchanged.
On the House floor, Steube said Nigeria “has faced a horrific wave of violence that its corrupt government has failed to address,” and argued that withholding only half the funding meant rewarding a government that “fails to meet such a basic obligation.”
He said the amendment does not add new conditions but “only strengthens” the existing ones, and framed it as a matter of accountability, stating that “foreign aid should never be a reward for failure.”
Steube also linked his push to America’s finances, asking why the country should keep sending money to Nigeria “as our national debt is fast approaching $40 trillion.”
The measure still has to clear the Senate and be signed by President Donald Trump before it can take effect, meaning Wednesday’s vote does not immediately change US funding to Nigeria.
The vote comes after President Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern in 2025 over allegations of Christian persecution, and after a US missile strike on Nigerian territory on Christmas Day drew tension between both countries.
The two nations have since entered a security partnership targeting terrorist groups in Nigeria’s Northern region.