March 3 – The Trump administration will place thousands of USAID workers on administrative leave, saying this is “one of the biggest steps” towards reducing the size and involvement of the federal government.
An estimated 4,200 USAID employees will be placed on administrative leave due to them being “non-essential.” USAID employs more than 10,000 people, with around 4,800 direct hires who are stationed in both foreign and domestic posts. Approximately 2,000 employees in stations across the U.S. will be subject to leave.
On Sunday, the Trump administration stated that they are putting a fraction of employees at USAID on leave both worldwide and in the U.S., eliminating at least 1,600 U.S. based jobs. This was the “one of the biggest steps” toward what Donald Trump and Elon Musk say is their goal of “gutting” the six-decade-old aid and development agency to reduce the federal government’s involvement.
Pete Marocco, Donald Trump’s USAID appointee, stated that he plans to keep about 600 mostly U.S. based USAID workers.
“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.” stated Secretary of State Marco Rubio at a joint press conference.
Along with the administrative leave, plans include closing USAID’s Washington D.C. headquarters and shutting down thousands of aid and development programs Trump and Elon Musk stated that USAID’s work is “rather wasteful and furthers a “liberal” agenda.”
USAID contractors and workers say that Trump’s administration lacks the constitutional authority to eliminate an independent agency without lawmakers’ approval. Additionally, a few USAID workers recently sued Elon Musk. The Trump administration efforts include upending decades of U.S. policy that gave aid and development to foreign countries by stabilizing regions and economies.
“Dismantling USAID is illegal and makes us less safe. USAID was created by federal law and is funded by Congress. Donald Trump and Elon Musk can’t just wish it away with a stroke of a pen– they need to pass a law.” stated U.S. Senator Brian Schatz.
Established by John F. Kennedy in 1961, USAID’s purpose is to reduce poverty, strengthen democracy, and promote prosperity in countries around the world. Since Donald Trump’s presidential appointment, he and Elon Musk, who is classified as a government employee, have long accused USAID for being a corrupt entity that “misuses U.S. taxpayer money under the guise of humanitarian aid.” Musk has called it a “criminal organization,” where he argued that “American monetary funds shouldn’t be spent on foreign projects.”
