Photo credit: thehill.com
Concerns Grow Over USAID Staffing Changes
Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Brian Schatz of Hawaii are pressing Secretary of State Marco Rubio to testify before Congress regarding significant staffing changes at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). In a letter sent on Thursday, the senators expressed their serious concerns about recent firings and the abrupt changes in funding allocations within the agency.
In their correspondence, Shaheen, who serves as the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Schatz, who leads the Appropriations Subcommittee on State, articulated their alarm over the dismissals of most USAID staff alongside the termination of over 90 percent of USAID awards and more than 60 percent of State Department awards. They highlighted that these cuts include substantial funding for programs deemed vital for American interests and lifesaving initiatives.
The senators asserted, “These actions are in contravention of the law, costly, inefficient, and will harm U.S. national security.” Their letter indicates a troubling path forward, where diminished support for foreign aid may jeopardize critical programs intended to address global issues such as food security and international migration.
Under the purview of Elon Musk and his initiative, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), there has been a concerted effort to reduce what they term wasteful spending within USAID. Recent reports suggest that the administration is attempting to eliminate a significant portion of USAID’s foreign aid contracts. This week, employees were reportedly given a mere quarter-hour to vacate their offices.
The proposed cuts to USAID funding threaten to impede ongoing efforts to deliver essential aid, counter rising Chinese influence, and manage pressing humanitarian crises worldwide. The senators have accused Rubio of enabling this unsettling trend within the agency.
Shaheen and Schatz raised specific grievances regarding the lack of compliance with legal standards, as well as a troubling absence of communication and transparency from the State Department. They noted, “This is unprecedented and not representative of the collaboration you professed, and we expected, when we confirmed you as Secretary of State.”
They lamented the delay in receiving information or briefings requested by their committee staff and emphasized that critical discussions regarding foreign policy issues—such as the humanitarian situation in Sudan and the conflict in Ukraine—are not occurring regularly. This situation has only intensified with reports of program terminations affecting both governmental and non-governmental partners globally.
The two senators are calling on Rubio to respond promptly to their inquiries and to appear before congressional committees to clarify how these changes at USAID will affect national security and global stability.
Source
thehill.com