Photo Courtesy of AP
WASHINGTON — Dozens of senior officials have been placed on leave, thousands of contractors laid off, and billions in humanitarian aid frozen to foreign countries.
In the last two weeks, President Donald Trump’s administration has introduced sweeping changes to the U.S. agency responsible for delivering global humanitarian assistance, leaving aid organizations worried about the future of crucial programs like nutritional support for malnourished children.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), established by President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s during the Cold War, was created to combat Soviet influence abroad through more effective foreign aid. Over the decades, USAID has been a point of contention between Republicans and Democrats, with both sides fighting over its budget and mission.
Here’s a closer look at USAID, its history, and the recent changes under the Trump administration.
What is USAID?
USAID was created in 1961 to help the U.S. counter Soviet influence by offering aid to foreign nations. Kennedy saw the State Department as too bureaucratic in carrying out such missions and wanted a more efficient agency to deliver assistance. Established under the Foreign Assistance Act, USAID became an independent agency.
Though the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991, USAID remains active today, with supporters arguing it helps counter global influence from countries like Russia and China, which have their own foreign aid programs, such as China’s “Belt and Road Initiative.” Critics, however, claim USAID is wasteful and advances a liberal agenda.
What’s going on with USAID?
On his first day in office on January 20, Trump imposed a 90-day freeze on foreign aid. Just days later, Peter Marocco, a political appointee returning from Trump’s first term, implemented a stricter interpretation of that order, halting thousands of programs and forcing staff furloughs and layoffs.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has since sought to keep certain life-saving programs running during the freeze, but confusion over which programs are exempt and fears that U.S. aid could be permanently halted have left aid and development efforts stalled worldwide.
Dozens of senior officials have been put on leave, and thousands of contractors have lost their jobs. On Monday, employees were told to stay away from USAID’s Washington headquarters. The agency’s website and its account on the X platform have been taken down.
The freeze is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to overhaul federal agencies, with USAID and foreign aid facing some of the most significant cuts.
Rubio said the freeze aimed to review every program and determine which ones directly contribute to “America’s safety, strength, and prosperity.” He argued that this approach resulted in more cooperation from foreign aid recipients.
What do critics say about USAID?
Republicans often advocate for giving the State Department more control over USAID’s funding and policies, while Democrats tend to defend the agency’s independence. Historically, Republican administrations have sought to cut funding to U.N. agencies, including peacekeeping, human rights, and refugee programs. During Trump’s first term, the U.S. withdrew from the U.N. Human Rights Council and slashed funding to the U.N. Population Fund and Palestinian Authority.
As a senator, Rubio advocated for more transparency in foreign assistance spending, yet he was generally supportive of USAID’s mission. In 2017, he called foreign aid “critical to national security” while emphasizing the need for efficient spending. In 2023, Rubio introduced a bill requiring greater transparency about which organizations implement foreign aid programs.
Why is Elon Musk going after USAID?
Musk’s newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been tasked with cutting trillions in government spending, and USAID has become a primary target. Musk has accused USAID of funding “deadly programs” and labeled the agency a “criminal organization.”
What’s being affected by the USAID freeze?
Sub-Saharan Africa, which received over $6.5 billion in U.S. humanitarian aid last year, could see the most severe impacts. Clinics supported by U.S. programs for HIV/AIDS patients have had to close their doors. In Latin America, a migrant shelter in southern Mexico is now operating without a doctor, and a mental health support program for LGBTQ+ youth fleeing Venezuela has been terminated.
In Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Guatemala, “Safe Mobility Offices” that help migrants apply for U.S. entry have been shuttered.
The aid community is still struggling to assess the full impact of the freeze, unsure of the total number of programs halted or the exact number of workers laid off.
How much does the U.S. spend on foreign aid?
The U.S. spent approximately $40 billion on foreign aid in the 2023 fiscal year, according to a report from the Congressional Research Service. While the U.S. is the largest provider of humanitarian assistance globally, foreign aid accounts for less than 1% of the federal budget.
What do Americans think of foreign aid?
A March 2023 AP-NORC poll found that about 60% of U.S. adults believe the government spends too much on foreign aid. Approximately 70% of Americans agreed the U.S. spends too much on assistance to other countries, with 90% of Republicans and 55% of Democrats holding that view. Meanwhile, around 60% of Americans felt the government was spending “too little” on domestic issues like education, healthcare, infrastructure, and Social Security.
Polling has shown that Americans tend to overestimate the amount of the federal budget dedicated to foreign aid, with many thinking it makes up about 31% of the budget, when in fact it’s closer to 1% or less.
Could Trump dissolve USAID on his own?
While Democrats argue that the president lacks the constitutional authority to eliminate USAID, it remains unclear what might stop him from attempting such a move. A smaller version of this legal battle occurred during Trump’s first term when he proposed cutting the foreign operations budget by a third. After Congress rejected the cuts, the Trump administration used freezes and other tactics to limit the flow of funds already approved by lawmakers. The Government Accountability Office later ruled that this violated the Impoundment Control Act, a law that might come into play again.
As Musk put it in a post on X: “Live by executive order, die by executive order” in reference to USAID.
