Testimony by Damon Wilson, President and CEO, National Endowment for Democracy
“The National Endowment for Democracy: America’s Foundation for Freedom Around the World”
Hearing Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs
May 20, 2026
Access Damon Wilson’s full written testimony here.
Chairman Mast, Ranking Member Meeks, Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you.
A more democratic world is a more peaceful and prosperous world, which is better for America and its citizens.
That’s what the National Endowment for Democracy and its Core institutes do every day. We help our nation by strengthening the resilience of societies before repression, instability, and corruption cause far more dangerous and costly problems for our country.
Where democratic institutions and free markets fail, conflict, trafficking, terrorism, refugee flows, and coercive economic practices take root.
Where citizens have a say in their future, societies are more stable and better partners for the United States.
Our investments help America compete with authoritarian rivals by helping partners build more effective democracies, foster free enterprise, and protect fundamental freedoms.
We exist because of the foresight of President Reagan and the U.S. Congress.
More than forty years ago, President Reagan warned that the advance of freedom was not inevitable. Before the British Parliament, he called for strengthening the “infrastructure of democracy”—the institutions and civic groups that allow free societies to flourish.
Congress responded mandating NED as a private foundation with the sole mission to encourage the growth of democracy.
This Committee played a key role acting on that vision.
In 1983, then-Chairman Dante Fascell recognized our nation needed more effective non-military tools to project positive influence. This committee helped establish NED as an independent institution that could build trusted, long-term relationships between Americans and those abroad pursuing democratic aspirations.
Our public mandate, bipartisan character, and nongovernmental structure allow us to work in the toughest places where others cannot and where local partners may not safely or credibly engage through official channels. It allows us to move flexibly and rapidly and build trust on the ground.
We support citizens who take the initiative to defend their vision for freedom in their own societies.
When they succeed, it benefits America.
Congress also built in strong oversight through annual appropriations, audits, reporting requirements, and consultation with both Congress and the executive branch.
Today, our work sits at the intersection of American security and economic interests.
Authoritarians use corruption, censorship, and forced labor to control strategic industries, undermine rule of law, and advance their malign influence.
The Chinese Communist Party exports surveillance technologies, engages in predatory financing, and pursues critics beyond its borders.
Our investments counter this.
NED-supported researchers exposed more than 100 Chinese overseas police stations operating across 53 countries.
Others have disrupted Chinese criminal networks financing scam centers that target Americans.
Critical mineral supply chains are vital for American manufacturing, energy security, and advanced technologies.
In Bolivia, NED-backed watchdogs disrupted shady lithium agreements involving Russian and Chinese agents. In Central Africa, groups we support push for transparency in cobalt and critical mineral extraction. This work levels the playing field for U.S. companies and workers.
Today, May 20th, marks Cuban Independence Day. Yet, the Cuban people are not free.
Just one example is 16-year-old Jonathan Muir Burgos, the son of a pastor, imprisoned for speaking out against dictatorship and denied medical care.
NED backs political prisoners and their families across the island. We also support groups that uncovered how the regime steals from its own people. We back media that reaches millions of Cubans, providing alternatives to propaganda.
In Iran, NED partners break through the internet shutdown, helping sustain grassroots networks despite severe repression.
Our work in Ukraine underscores that the defense of sovereignty and self-determination remains a defining struggle.
For decades, NED partners have strengthened free press, civic institutions, and anti-corruption reforms. Today, they are vital to Ukrainian resilience against Russian aggression.
Mr. Chairman, religious freedom and free speech are central to NED’s mission because autocrats fear independent sources of truth, organization, and moral authority beyond state control.
Beijing is waging a renewed campaign against the Christian house church movement, including arresting Pastor Ezra Jin of Zion Church.
NED partners document persecution, mass detention, and forced labor of Uyghurs, Tibetans, Christians, and Falun Gong believers.
In Nicaragua, Burma, and Nigeria, we defend religious liberty and provide legal support to congregations under threat.
To close Mr. Chairman, our nation’s 250th anniversary reminds us that America’s strength has always rested on the enduring appeal of the principles at the heart of our founding.
Supporting those who advance liberty abroad reflects who we are as Americans.
It also advances America’s national security, economic prosperity, and leadership in a competitive world.
We are proud to stand with those who seek freedom.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I look forward to your questions.
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Access Damon Wilson’s full written testimony here.
