Rep. Norma Torres Opposes NSRP Bill, Citing “Dangerous Retreat” from Anti-Corruption and Regional Security Efforts
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Norma J. Torres (CA-35), a senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP) and Co-Chair of the Central America Caucus, announced she will vote NO on the fiscal year 2027 SFOPS funding bill as currently written.
As the only Member of Congress born in Central America, Torres is a recognized expert on the Northern Triangle and a leading advocate for the rule of law. In her subcommittee remarks, she characterized the bill as a strategic failure that ignores the reality of migration, narcotrafficking, and governance in the Western Hemisphere.
“I am voting against this bill because it abandons the bipartisan anti-corruption standards that we have spent years establishing. As an Appropriator, my job is to ensure taxpayer dollars are an investment in stability, not a subsidy for autocrats,” said Congresswoman Torres. “By stripping away basic oversight and gutting proven programs like the Inter-American Foundation, this bill makes America less secure. If we are serious about addressing root causes of migration, we must be committed to supporting the programs that have proven results instead of turning a blind eye by supporting autocratic regimes. This isn't just a budget; it's a strategic retreat that signals to the world that America is no longer interested in leading on transparency or the rule of law. I will not put my name on a document that surrenders our influence in our own hemisphere to our adversaries.”
Torres, a recognized authority on the Northern Triangle, argued that the bill’s elimination of the Inter-American Foundation (IAF) is a self-inflicted wound to U.S. national security. She noted that one program successfully reduced criminal activity among participants by 90%, this bill guts that funding while the administration simultaneously facilitates the release of convicted corrupt actors like former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández.
Furthermore, Torres warned that the bill creates a vacuum by stripping away bipartisan anti-corruption safeguards and leaving half of U.S. embassies without confirmed ambassadors, a move that effectively surrenders regional influence to China and Russia.
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