A group of Democrats in the US House of Representatives has introduced a bill that would prevent President Donald Trumpʼs administration from eliminating the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
This is reported by The Hill.
The bill, authored by Congresswoman Sarah Jacobs, was introduced on February 11 and is called the Protect US National Security Act.
He aims to argue that USAID reform must comply with the law and “not harm American soft power” at a time when the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) seeks to cut federal spending across various agencies and departments.
“Over the past 10 days, Elon Musk and DOGE have shut down USAID’s website, closed its headquarters, furloughed thousands of employees, and issued an order halting most foreign aid programs, including life-saving humanitarian assistance,” Jacobs said in a statement.
Jacobs is the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee, which oversees USAID, and she introduced the bill along with 15 other Democrats.
- USAID is the worldʼs largest donor. In fiscal year 2023, the United States provided $72 billion in assistance worldwide. The agency was founded in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy. It provides billions of dollars each year to end poverty, treat disease, and respond to famine and natural disasters, as well as to build and develop democracy by supporting non-governmental organizations, independent media, and social initiatives.
- On January 20, the day of his inauguration, the US President Donald Trump froze USAID initiatives for 90 days. After that, the Agencyʼs employees began to be sent on administrative leave without pay. The New York Times, citing sources, wrote that the Trump administration wants to reduce the number of USAID employees from more than 10 000 to 290 — that is, by a factor of 34.
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