Legislators Claim Taxpayer-Funded Scholarship Shows Liberal Bias

The taxpayer-funded status of the renowned Truman Scholarship is in danger due to alleged bias against conservatives.

Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, penned a letter to Dr. Terry Babcock-Lumish, executive secretary of The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, expressing concerns about the organization favoring liberal causes by a 10-to-1 margin over conservative candidates.

The letter was also signed by Rep. Burgess Owens, R-Utah, chair of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, and Robert Aderholt, R-Ala., chair of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.

“Between 2021 and 2023, the Truman Foundation selected 182 Truman winners,” the lawmakers wrote. “However, only six recipients showed interest in conservative-leaning causes, while at least 74 winners were interested in progressive causes.”

Congress established the scholarship in 1974 as a tribute to President Truman, with the foundation requesting $3 million in appropriations for the 2025 fiscal year.

The lawmakers posed questions to the foundation about supporting scholars from diverse perspectives, discrimination against conservative candidates, and steps to recruit a more ideologically diverse pool of nominees.

The foundation disagreed with the data points used to arrive at the ’10-to-1′ bias number and will respond to the full committee at a later date.