Chicago – February 03, 2024
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) staff received an email on Monday saying the agency’s headquarters in Washington would be closed. Some workers were locked out of their computer systems overnight, while others received emails stating that the headquarters would be closed “at the direction of Agency leadership” on February 3.
Elon Musk, who is leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), said in a recent conversation on X that President Donald Trump agreed that USAID, which provides humanitarian and development aid worldwide, should be shut down. This plan has faced strong criticism from Democrats, who argue that Trump doesn’t have the power to close USAID, as it was created by Congress in 1998 as an independent agency.
The White House said that 606 USAID employees were put on administrative leave and 791 personal service contracts were ended, saving $128 million. Foreign aid will now focus only on “lower-income countries.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is now the acting director of USAID, said some of its functions would continue but would be aligned with U.S. foreign policy.
Democratic lawmakers quickly opposed this plan, and the Trump administration has not received approval from Congress to shut down the agency. Musk’s role in DOGE has now been confirmed as an official government position.
