President Donald Trump's decision to reassign the foreign aid agency USAID under the jurisdiction of the State Department, now managed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has sparked discontent among Democratic lawmakers in Congress.
This move has been met with criticism, particularly from Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, who has voiced her concerns about the implications for congressional authority and the balance of power.
According to The Post Millennial, Rep. Omar expressed her disapproval by stating that Trump had "installed himself as the sole power," likening his actions to those of a dictator. She argued that the administration is "trying to take away the Constitutional power of Congress," thereby disrupting the balance of power. Omar further emphasized the impact on taxpayers, noting that employees are being laid off and pushed into early retirement. She questioned, "Do you want the executive making the only decisions in this country or do you want the elected representatives that you sent to Washington making those policies? I am exceptionally upset about USAID."
Drawing from her personal experiences, Omar, who spent four years in a Somali refugee camp, highlighted the importance of USAID's programs. "I lived in a refugee camp for four years," she remarked, "as a child surviving civil war. It is the essential programs that USAID provided that kept my family and I fed and safe." She underscored the agency's role in projecting American compassion globally, contrasting it with military interactions that, in her view, do not foster goodwill.
The restructuring has led to administrative leave for 60 top staffers at USAID, a decision attributed to concerns about bureaucratic actions potentially undermining the president's executive orders. Acting USAID's Jason Gray commented on the situation, suggesting that these actions were "designed to circumvent the presidents executive orders and the mandate from the American people."
Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin also criticized the changes, particularly targeting Elon Musk, whose DOGE office scrutinized USAID's expenditures and identified areas of waste. Raskin asserted, "Elon Musk, you didn't create USAID," emphasizing that Congress established the agency for the American people. He continued, "And just like Elon Musk did not create USAID, he doesn't have the power to destroy it. And who's gonna stop him? We are, we're gonna stop him."
Rep. Brian Mast, in a conversation with CBS' Margaret Brennan, outlined specific areas of waste he believes should be eliminated from State Department spending. Meanwhile, Secretary Rubio, speaking from El Salvador, reiterated his longstanding concerns with USAID, describing it as "a completely unresponsive agency" that often acts independently of national interests. He stressed, "Every dollar we spend and every program we fund will be aligned with the national interest of the United States."
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