Debate Over $20 Million Sesame Street Funding – Is This Right?

A $20 million Sesame Street program in Iraq sparks debate as USAID faces budget cuts.

At a Glance

  • Democratic Senator Chris Coons defends $20 million USAID funding for Sesame Street in Iraq
  • Program aims to teach values, public health, and cooperation to Iraqi children
  • Trump administration sought to close USAID due to alleged wasteful spending
  • Critics argue for more strategic use of taxpayer money amid budget constraints
  • Debate highlights tension between “soft power” initiatives and fiscal responsibility

Sesame Street in Iraq: A Controversial Investment

As the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) faces potential budget cuts, a $20 million investment in a Sesame Street program for Iraq has become the center of a heated debate. Democratic Senator Chris Coons has stepped forward to defend the initiative, arguing that it serves as a crucial educational tool in a post-conflict environment.

However, critics view the expenditure as emblematic of misplaced priorities in government spending.

The program, designed to teach values to children in Iraq, has drawn attention due to its substantial price tag at a time when USAID’s budget is under scrutiny. Senator Coons maintains that the investment is relatively small compared to USAID’s overall budget of $30 billion and the Department of Defense’s $850 billion allocation.

Senator Coons, in his defense of the program, emphasized the broader impact of such initiatives. He argued that the Sesame Street program goes beyond mere entertainment.

“This isn’t just funding a kids’ show for children — millions of children — in countries like Iraq. It’s a show that helps teach values, helps teach public health, helps prevent kids from dying from dysentery and disease, and helps push values like collaboration, peacefulness, and cooperation in a society where the alternative is ISIS, extremism, and terrorism,” Coons said.

He further invoked the concept of “smart power” in international relations, a term popularized by political scientist Joseph Nye Jr. This approach combines traditional hard power tactics with softer diplomatic and cultural influences to achieve foreign policy objectives.

“It’s not just soft power; it’s smart power,” Coons added.

Critics Question Priorities Amid Budget Constraints

Despite Coons’ passionate defense, the program has faced widespread criticism from those who view it as an unnecessary expense during a time of fiscal tightening. The Trump administration has worked to close USAID entirely, citing wasteful spending identified by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE.)

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