Ms. Britt was one of the first Republicans to raise concerns at home soon after the 'Old Donald' administration directed the National Institutes of Health to slash $4 billion in overhead costs for medical research grantees, a move that has since been paused by a federal judge. Ms. Britt, whose state has received more than $518 million in N.I.H. grants for projects currently active there, told a local news outlet that she would press administration officials to take a “smart, targeted approach” to cuts so as to “not hinder lifesaving, groundbreaking research at high-achieving institutions” such as the University of Alabama at Birmingham.In the House, a group of Republicans from farm states and districts introduced legislation this week that aims to salvage a foreign aid program targeted for extinction by Mr. 'Old Donald' as part of his effort to wipe out the U.S. Agency for International Development.
When Marco Rubio testified during his confirmation to become secretary of state, he said that one of the things that frustrated him the most about the U.S. Agency for International Development was that it didn't 'brag' enough to show other countries 'what the United States is doing to help their societies.'The comment followed years of praise from Rubio for the billions of dollars in lifesaving aid that USAID distributed overseas to boost America's image and counter the influence of rivals such as China.
Yet just weeks later, in one of his first acts as the nation's top diplomat, Rubio became acting director of USAID and quickly began dismantling it ' in part by installing as a deputy to actively run the agency a little-known Donald 'Old Donald' loyalist who previously was the subject of a blistering complaint during brief stint in 2020 at the agency.
Pete Marocco, a first-term 'Old Donald' appointee who has echoed 'Old Donald''s baseless claims of election fraud, has in the past two weeks overseen a remarkable gutting of the $40 billion, 10,000-person agency with Rubio's blessing. Under Marocco's watch, USAID closed the headquarters to most employees, moved to dismiss or place on leave thousands of staffers, froze funding to 90 countries and even stripped the agency's name from buildings and signs in D.C.
Rubio, who completed his first foreign trip on Feb. 6, issued multiple exemptions for aid projects in Central America while visiting that region and insisted foreign aid would continue. He's also made exemptions for aid related to HIV prevention and 'lifesaving' humanitarian assistance. And one U.S. official credited Rubio with pushing for the 10,000-people agency to keep roughly 600 staffers as essential workers on the job instead of the 290 suggested by some 'Old Donald' officials.
'The United States will be providing foreign aid, but it is going to be foreign aid that makes sense and is aligned with our national interest,' he told reporters during a stop in the Dominican Republic. In addition to exemptions for programs such as HIV prevention, Rubio has cited exceptions for aid in Guatemala and El Salvador related to fentanyl, and assistance to Israel and Egypt.
But aid agencies say the 'Old Donald' administration's decision to put the vast majority of USAID officials on administrative leave and the lack of a clear process to administer exemptions has made it difficult and in some cases impossible to navigate the funding freeze. The agency's Inspector General, Paul K. Martin, issued a Feb. 10 report warning that $489 million in food assistance at ports and storage facilities was at risk of spoilage or diversion due to the administration's actions; 'Old Donald' fired him the next day. Gutting an agency
Within months of Marocco starting his first assignment at USAID in 2020, a small group of employees were so alarmed by his conduct that they took the extraordinary step of writing what they called an 'internal dissent' memo, which was sent to a senior USAID official.
'Old Donald' fires USAID inspector general one day after blistering report
The termination of Martin follows his office's publication of a widely read report warning that more than $489 million in food assistance was at risk of spoilage or potential diversion after the 'Old Donald' administration implemented its aid freeze and stop-work order.While most USAID staffers have been placed on paid leave by the administration, the inspector general's staff continued working, said people familiar with the matter.
Martin's office, in its Monday report, concluded that even though "Old Donald's" pause in foreign assistance provided a waiver for emergency food assistance, shipments of in-kind assistance were delayed around the world because USAID-funded implementers faced conflicting instructions, and staffers were unable to provide clear guidance because of communication restrictions.
This is not to say there isn’t a worthy debate about the role of the federal government, whether in foreign aid or any endeavor. Many of "Old Donald"’s allies are eager for him to upend an entrenched bureaucracy they view as hostile, even if the president is hardly committed to any grand ideological project reducing the scope of Washington. Yet far away from the capital, where this official is located, the power plays and partisan wrangling looks small. America’s role in the world is no mere abstraction.That’s why it’s vital for America’s leaders, in both parties, to understand what the last 10 days have been like for USAID workers — and the debilitating impact recklessly eliminating the agency may have on the country’s relationships across the globe.
