Watchdog targets taxpayer-funded National Academies over DEI, climate and transgender spending

By Fox News · Fox News

FIRST ON FOX: A consumer watchdog group is accusing the federally funded National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine of using taxpayer dollars to support DEI, transgender-related and other left-leaning initiatives, according to a new report. Consumers’ Research compiled the "Woke Alert" report outlining what it describes as left-leaning research, workshops and grants from the congressionally chartered institution, including projects related to transgender youth, diversity and inclusion initiatives, policing and climate advocacy. Will Hild, executive director of Consumers’ Research, accused the organization, which receives 70% of its budget from federal funds, of being "a radical woke organization masquerading as a nonpartisan educational institution." "From pushing transgender ideology onto kids to spreading 'defund the police' insanity, this taxpayer-supported organization regularly abuses its status and reputation to fund the left’s favorite causes," Hild said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "It has shamefully used hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars to push a highly polarized woke agenda behind lofty BS rhetoric about independence and objectivity." TRUMP-SIGNED SHUTDOWN BILL SENDS $4M TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS UNDER FEDERAL PROBE FOR TRANSGENDER CARE Consumers' Research argued that NASEM has established its allegiance with left-leaning transgender ideology through its various publications, such as a workshop titled "Supporting the Health and Well-Being of Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth," and a book titled "Reducing Inequalities Between Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Adolescents and Cisgender, Heterosexual Adolescents: Proceedings of a Workshop 2022." The report highlighted that for years, NASEM has run a variety of DEI workshops with titles including "Advancing Antiracism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in STEMM Organizations: Current Context and Challenges ;" and another titled "Protecting Diversity, Equity, and Incl…