By Evelyn Lucado
Opinion Editor
According to a Feb. 3 memo from the Congressional Research Service, as of Feb. 3, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is Acting Administrator of USAID, following the dismissal of senior leaders and the removal of the agency’s official website
While many debate the current state of federal spending and the power of federal bureaucracies, the Trump administration and the newly coined Department of Government Efficiency have taken drastic and constitutionally questionable actions to reduce the federal workforce and dismantle organizations such as USAID, demonstrating not a concern for federal spending, but a dangerous overreach of executive power, leaving the future of both the agency and its workers in limbo.
USAID, established in 1961, is responsible for global humanitarian assistance, including programs that provide healthcare, food, and clean water to developing nations. According to NBC, the agency previously delivered billions of dollars overseas, providing critical assistance to over 100 countries, most prominently Ukraine.
“They’ve done incredible work in support of values and programs that we should all care about, whether its helping citizens protect themselves against violent rebels, working with HIV/AIDS prevention programs, helping rural villages on sustainable agriculture, or delivering emergency humanitarian assistance in conflict zones,” Washington College chair of the Political Science department and Public Affairs Professor Dr. Christine Wade said.
However, members of the Trump Administration such as Elon Musk — an unelected special government employee with no government experience — have accused USAID of wasteful spending. Musk even went as far as to call the agency a “criminal organization” on X.
The supposed “abusive spending” from USAID, according to Factcheck.org, included art and performances aimed to raise awareness for the LGBTQ+ community and advocate for inclusion. However, there is no proof that USAID provided any federal funding for many of these projects cited by Musk and the Trump administration.
Even so, it is not necessarily the President’s place to decide what is and is not wasteful.
“There may be inefficiencies and waste in programming at USAID (as with any bureaucracy), but much of what we’ve heard so far has turned out to be false. You don’t need to dismantle a government agency simply to root out waste. Hospitals might have inefficiencies and waste, but you wouldn’t remove patients from ventilators to fix it,” Dr. Wade said.
The President, according to the Congressional Research Service memo, does not have the constitutional power to unilaterally abolish USAID without congressional approval. The actions made by DOGE and the Trump administration toward USAID raise serious questions regarding whether or not his actions are constitutional.
“USAID has had critics on both the left and the right over the years, but completely dismantling the agency will have significant consequences at home and abroad,” Dr. Wade said.
According to the National Constitution Center, the legislative branch, or Congress, holds the power of the purse, meaning that the President and federal agencies of the executive branch are required to spend federal funds as they are appropriated by Congress, whether or not the President agrees with Congress’ decision. The power of the purse is a crucial aspect of how the Constitution separates the powers of the American government, creating “a constitutionally mandated check on Executive power.”
The checks and balances mandated in the Constitution are crucial to the foundations of American democracy, preventing one branch of government from overpowering and overtaking the other.
According to CNN, the abrupt dismantling of the agency left many American USAID workers who dedicated themselves to humanitarian efforts in limbo. The sudden dismissal of senior leaders and directives for workers to be placed on administrative leave left some USAID workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo stranded amid protests in Kinshasa.
“We have a number of [Washington College] alumni who worked for USAID, or have been contracted through USAID,” Dr. Wade said. “I’ve always been proud of our alumni who used their skills and expertise to make the work a better place. I know it’s heartbreaking for them that people on the other end of their programs will be left without support and potentially be vulnerable to reprisals.”
The work done by USAID and its workers cannot be understated. While arguments can be made for limiting the spending of government agencies, to go over the head of Congress and cause seemingly deliberate chaos does not serve to cut “wasteful spending,” and instead leaves both American citizens and struggling communities fearful and uncertain as USAID’s future remains clouded by disorder.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Photo Caption: USAID’s future remains uncertain under political chaos.