❓WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is attempting to sneak $500,000 in funding for the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA) into the Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the NDWA, NDWA founder and Democrat Party activist Ai-jen Poo, NDWA director and Black Lives Matter (BLM) co-founder Alicia Garza, and NDWA executive director and BLM activist Jenn Stowe.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The appropriations process is ongoing, with the earmark revealed on Wednesday, January 7, 2026.
🎯IMPACT: While proponents of the Congressional Direct Spending (CDS) process often contend that the money does not fund radical political agendas, critics are correct that the fungibility of funds means that a far-left group receiving grants can subsequently redirect other resources to their radical political causes.
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is attempting to sneak $500,000 in funding for the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA)—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advocacy group founded by far-left activists tied to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, Planned Parenthood, and social justice radicals—into the Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill. Notably, the nonprofit group is currently running a lobbying effort against the Republican-backed Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would amend current federal voter laws to help prevent noncitizens from casting ballots in federal elections.
While the spending request—formally known as a Congressional Direct Spending (CDS) request—has been submitted by Schumer’s office, it has not yet been approved for inclusion in the HHS funding bill. The CDS—sometimes categorized as an earmark—would be funded through grants from the HHS. While proponents of the CDS process often contend that the money does not fund radical political agendas, critics are correct that the fungibility of funds means that a far-left group receiving grants can subsequently redirect other resources to their radical political causes.
The NDWA, while not an actual organized labor organization, models itself as such a group and claims to advocate for the “rights of domestic workers” in the United States. According to the nonprofit group, these laborers predominantly include immigrants and “people of color.” Notably, the NDWA was founded in 2007 by the Taiwanese-American Democrat Party activist Ai-jen Poo, who has long been considered a potential nominee for Secretary of Labor, favored by more radical progressive political leaders. Poo has long-standing ties with Planned Parenthood’s late president Cecile Richards, with whom she co-founded the electioneering group Supermajority aimed to mobilize women voters before the 2020 election.
Alongside Poo is Alicia Garza, who serves as the NDWA’s Director of Strategy and Partnerships. Garza is probably best known for co-founding the Black Lives Matter movement, which saw several iterations and leaders embezzle millions of dollars of donor money for personal use. Another BLM activist, Jenn Stowe, with close ties to progressive Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), serves as the group’s executive director.
It should be noted that while not all CDS requests are included in finalized appropriations legislation or funded, constituent support or disapproval can often have a tremendous impact on the committee’s decisions regarding which earmarks are accepted and which are not. Additionally, the NDWA’s overtly political activities as a 501(c)(3) organization could draw scrutiny from the IRS, whose rules place strict limits on lobbying activities and stipulate that such actions cannot constitute a “substantial” part of an organization’s advocacy.
Image via Jewish Democratic Council of America.
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