According to a former State Department official, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is holding off on requesting and spending the funds for a number of reasons. Senators blast Tillerson delay on spending funds to counter ISIS, Russia Lawmakers are angry he isn't using money allocated by Congress, possibly to avoid offending Kremlin.

Two U.S. senators are demanding that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson quickly tap into $80 million in available funds to counter propaganda by Russia and terrorist groups, with one lawmaker calling his delay in using the money "indefensible."

The comments by Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio and Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut came in response to a POLITICO story that detailed how Tillerson has taken no action to spend the money, which was allocated last year by Congress, possibly because of concerns that it could hurt his efforts to reduce tensions with Russia.


“This is indefensible," Murphy said in a statement Wednesday. "Every day, [the Islamic State] is spreading terrorist propaganda and Russia is implementing a sophisticated disinformation campaign to undermine the United States and our allies. I strongly urge Secretary Tillerson to take this issue seriously and use the tools and resources he has at his disposal to stand up to our adversaries.”

Added Portman: “Countering foreign propaganda should be a top priority, and it is very concerning that progress on combating this problem is being delayed because the State Department isn’t tapping into these resources."

Portman and Murphy were behind legislation that allocated $60 million this fiscal year to the State Department so it can counter Russian disinformation campaigns that U.S. intelligence officials believe influenced the 2016 election.

The $60 million is supposed to fund the Global Engagement Center, an interagency unit established last year and based at the State Department that specializes in countering propaganda. The $60 million is currently parked at the Pentagon, waiting on Tillerson's request for a transfer.

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An additional $19.8 million is in State's coffers, but has not been given to the center, according to sources inside and outside the State Department. That chunk of money is supposed to focus on countering terrorist propaganda.

The $60 million will be unavailable if not transferred by Sept. 30, the end of this fiscal year, officials told POLITICO. The fate of the $19.8 million is unclear. Another $60 million will be available for transfer in fiscal 2018.

According to a former State Department official official, Tillerson aides have given varying reasons why he has held off on requesting and spending the funds, including his desire to avoid major decisions before implementing his plan to reshape and shrink the department.

But during the discussions, Tillerson aide R.C. Hammond also mentioned that Tillerson is trying to work through disagreements with Russia, and that the center's work could undermine that effort, the former senior State official said.

Hammond has told POLITICO that officials involved with the center have not presented a clear plan for how to spend the money, an assertion disputed by the former State Department official.

Late Wednesday, the department responded to a request for comment by noting the Global Engagement Center "continues to execute its mission" and is already funded this fiscal year with $16.3 million.

"There is a process underway to ensure any future funding or programs account for the most appropriate tactics and strategy — especially in countering propaganda from countries such as Russia that have minimal protections for free speech or the media," it said.