Should the U.S. halt its Foreign Aid program?
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Here's the debate:
"Make no mistake about it, Elon Musk's effort to dismantle the Agency for International Development is a gift to China, it's a gift to Russia, it's a gift to our adversaries around the world." – Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
"They [USAID] have basically evolved into an agency that believes they are not even a us government agency. That they are a global charity. That they take the taxpayer money and they spend it...irrespective of whether it is in the national interest or not in the national interest." – Secretary of State Marco Rubio
"This is a constitutional crisis that we are in today, let's call it what it is. The people get to decide how we defend the United States of America...Elon Musk does not get to decide. We are weaker today than we were yesterday. China sees that, Russia sees that, and they will take advantage." – Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT)
"I think that there are some worthy things, but overall, if you say what is the bang for the buck, I would say it was not very good." – Elon Musk in reference to a question on the worthiness of USAID.
Background:
Just hours after he was inaugurated on Jan. 20, President Trump signed an executive order to pause all spending and activities by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for 90 days.
The President accused the foreign aid agency of massive corruption, wasteful spending, and working against U.S. interests. Elon Musk, the appointed head of the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), called the agency a “criminal organization” and said it is “time for it to die.” Neither man cited evidence for their assertions.
In the weeks following the initial executive order, the administration announced plans to slash the agency’s staff of more than 10,000 to just a few hundred. It placed those working abroad on administrative leave and ordered them to return to the United States, and appointed Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the agency's acting administrator. Rubio, who as a Senator from Florida had high praise for USAID, said the administration is fighting against “rank insubordination” in an agency that works against US interests abroad.
Experts on foreign policy and humanitarian aid have raised the alarm, arguing that USAID plays an essential role in protecting US interests at home and abroad. According to Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International and former head of USAID’s foreign disaster assistance program, (click here for his presentation to the Council in 2024) the administration’s actions will “diminish the US’s leadership on the world stage.” According to Noam Unger, Senior Fellow at CSIS, AID health programs focused on malaria and AIDS have saved more than 35 million lives and protected US health systems in the process.
Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), agreed that many of the programs supported by USAID are doing “great work,” but charged that the agency lacks transparency, spends recklessly, and even allowed the diversion of funds to Syria Al Nusra Front, a former Al-Qaida affiliate – which led the overthrew the Assad regime in December. But it’s not clear whether this was an institutional failing as suggested by the Trump administration. Meanwhile, numerous lawsuits have challenged the constitutional legality of the administration’s actions. On Friday, February 7th, a US district court judge issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the administration from putting USAID employees on leave.
The future of USAID and its humanitarian aid mission is far from certain.
What’s your view? We’ll welcome your contribution to our discussion forum. Here’s some background reading:
Overview of recent developments and USAID
- Trump’s Foreign Aid Freeze Has Created Chaos. Here Is What to Know. New York Times, February 8, 2025.
- What to know about USAID, and why it’s a target for the Trump administration, PBS News, February 3, 2025.
- Does U.S. Democracy Aid Have a Future? Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Thomas Carothers, March 3, 2025.
The Case for USAID
- Trump’s USAID Purge and Foreign Aid Turmoil Spark Global Security Concerns, CSIS, Noam Unger, Director, Sustainable Development and Resilience Initiative and Senior Fellow, Project on Prosperity and Development, February 3, 2025.
- BBC News Channel: Jeremy Konyndyk Speaks on USAID, BBC interview with Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International and former distinguished speaker at the Baltimore Council, February 3, 2025.
- Killing U.S.A.I.D. Is a Win for Autocrats Everywhere, New York Times Opinion, Samantha Power, former administrator USAID, Feb. 6, 2025.
- The Trump Administration Said These Aid Programs Saved Lives. It Canceled Them Anyway. ProPublica, Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Brett Murphy, March 1, 2025.
The Administration’s Position and Arguments for Change
- Marco Rubio talks USAID, FOX interview with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Feb 4, 2025. (Watch minute 2:17 to 7:40 for commentary on USAID)
- Sen. Joni Ernst: USAID Is a Rogue Agency, Wall Street Journal Opinion, Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA), Feb. 9, 2025.
- USAID Should Be Retooled, Not Destroyed, Hudson Institute, Michael Sobolik, Feb 5, 2025
No! U.S. Foreign Aid is important for two very important reasons. One, it is our duty/responsibility/opportunity to help others less fortunate than ourselves. The Good Samaritan. Two, the U.S. can and should (IMHO) want to be a leader in the world, showcasing how we treat each other. By providing aid to countries that are less fortunate than us, we can demonstrate to other first world countries what a good nation, a democracy can do for others. Alternatively, other countries are already moving to step in with their brand of foreign aid, which includes the host nation giving up natural resources, committing to long-term debt programs and generally putting their country's long term health and well-being at risk.
What wasn't asked was how we should manage the U.S. Foreign Aid programs. The risks with shutting down USAID, for example, is not only that other countries MAY step in to offer their brand of help, but that the aid those countries were receiving from us was saving lives, improving lives, helping people. Now there will be deaths, sadness and remembrances of how the U.S. reneged on our promises. If we thought there was mismanagement, there was opportunities to review, correct and improve our giving. Breaking something to "fix" it, does not seem like the best way.
In a parallel move to the Administration's changes to AID, the President issued an executive order suspending the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) on grounds that the program is “detrimental” to U.S. interests and that the country lacks the capacity to absorb large numbers of migrants. Contracts with 10 longtime partner organizations were terminated. Despite court orders, the Trump administration has signaled that it could take months to restore USRAP operations.
For more information on the changes to US refugee resettlement, see the following articles.
'How far can a president go?' As Donald Trump seeks systemic change, will the US continue its tradition of harbouring refugees?, Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera, March 20, 2025.
Trump cancels contracts with refugee groups one day after judge blocks suspension of resettlement program, Alex Woodward, The Independent, February 27, 2025.
In Trump’s Cuts to Aid and Refugees, a Clash Over Christian Values, Elizabeth Dias, New York Times, February 15, 2025.
Hundreds laid off, thousands of refugees risk losing benefits during federal pause, Ximena Bustillo, National Public Radio, February 13, 2025.
U.S. Resettles Most Refugees in Three Decades, Maintains FY 2025 Refugee Cap at 125,000, Global Refuge, September 30, 2024.
