Four Democratic lawmakers have objected to the latest plans for USAID. In a letter to the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the members of Congress cited “serious concerns” about the legal, financial, and national security risks of a blueprint presented to the U.S. Congress.
“As proposed, this plan will overburden the State Department, jeopardize the continuity of programs that save lives and keep Americans safe at home and further undermine U.S. credibility and reliability,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter, which was sent to Rubio on Thursday. “That is why we object to any implementation of your proposal at this time.”
The letter — which came from the top Democrats in the foreign affairs and related appropriations committees — came two weeks after the Trump administration delivered a congressional notification to Capitol Hill. That 12-page document had laid out a plan to “abolish” USAID as an independent entity, and to subsume select programs with the U.S. Department of State.
Humanitarian assistance, global health programs, and “limited national security” initiatives would be kept; virtually all other programs, along with all USAID missions and personnel, would be slashed. The purpose, the State Department’s Paul Guaglianone wrote, was a realignment — one that matched foreign assistance to the Trump administration’s priorities.
By the time the congressional notification was sent, the Trump administration had already terminated more than 80% of USAID-funded awards. But as the agency was created by Congress, such a merger would require congressional action to be done lawfully. Days after receiving the notification, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen — the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — placed a hold on the plan, another informal way that members of Congress can object to a specific policy.
By Thursday, Shaheen and Sen. Brian Schatz, Rep. Gregory Meeks, and Rep. Lois Frankel had taken those efforts further: They formally objected to the State Department’s plan, stating the process Rubio had undertaken to reform USAID was unlawful.
“Not only has the process that produced the [congressional notification] been unlawful, its implementation would render it impossible for the Administration to comply with authorizing laws and spending directives enacted in recent appropriations bills and meet other statutory requirements,” the lawmakers stated.
They also noted the lack of details in the proposal, stating the notification did not address how the State Department would retain the staffing, contracting, vetting, and oversight to continue critical USAID programs, including those the Trump administration has selected to survive.
“The concurrent plan to fire virtually all USAID staff — and therefore lose all expertise — raises further concern about disruptions to lifesaving programs and other critical harm to American workers, businesses and implementing partners and increases the risk of waste, fraud and abuse,” the lawmakers added.
An objection only has legal power if it results in an actual act of Congress, such as a resolution of disapproval that passes in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. And with a Congress tipped toward the Republican Party, such an outcome is unlikely.
As of this week, Shaheen’s hold on the congressional notification still stands.
About the author
Elissa Miolene
Elissa Miolene reports on USAID and the U.S. government at Devex. She previously covered education at The San Jose Mercury News, and has written for outlets like The Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washingtonian magazine, among others. Before shifting to journalism, Elissa led communications for humanitarian agencies in the United States, East Africa, and South Asia.
