- Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that the State Department is officially canceling 83% of USAID programs. Rubio said that includes 5,200 contracts worth tens of billions of dollars.
- The remaining 18%, or approximately 1,000 programs, will be administered in consultation with Congress.
- In 2023, the federal government spent $71.9 billion on foreign aid.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the State Department is officially canceling 83% of USAID programs after a six-week review. Rubio said that includes 5,200 contracts worth tens of billions of dollars.
Why are the programs being canceled?
“[The contracts] did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States,” Rubio said in a statement.
The remaining 18%, or approximately 1,000 programs, will be administered in consultation with Congress. Rubio thanked DOGE staff members for achieving what he described as “historic reform.”
President Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office titled “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid.” It ordered a 90-day pause in U.S. foreign development assistance to check for “programmatic efficiencies and consistency with United States foreign policy.”
The order said money cannot be dispersed if it doesn’t fully align with the foreign policy of the president.
“[The funds] serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries,” the order stated.
What are Democrats saying about the move?
Recently, some Senate Democrats expressed regret in supporting Marco Rubio for secretary of state. This announcement appears to be adding to the remorse.
“This is another illegal move from an administration that has shown outright hostility to the rule of law and separation of powers,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., stated.
“President Trump’s decisions are making America isolated, vulnerable, and less safe,” Coons continued. The work of foreign assistance prevents China from expanding its influence, advances American interests and prevents disasters before they reach our shores.”
Other recent updates on USAID
Last week, a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to pay out $2 billion in frozen foreign aid by Monday, March 10. The administration was sued by several nonprofits and aid groups set to lose money from USAID due to the freeze.
In 2023, the federal government spent $71.9 billion on foreign aid.
