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25-Feb-2025

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USAID Website Goes Offline Amid Trump Administration’s Freeze on Foreign Aid 2 months ago

The website of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) went offline unexpectedly on Saturday, coinciding with ongoing furloughs, layoffs, and program shutdowns resulting from President Donald Trump's freeze on U.S.-funded foreign aid and development initiatives worldwide.

Democratic lawmakers have increasingly contested the Trump administration's actions, expressing concerns that the president may be attempting to eliminate USAID as an independent agency by merging it with the State Department. They argue that Trump lacks the legal authority to dissolve a congressionally funded agency and emphasize that USAID's work is crucial to U.S. national security.

The Trump administration, along with congressional Republicans, has criticized many foreign aid and development programs as wasteful, particularly those perceived to promote liberal social agendas. The apprehension surrounding potential further actions against USAID has intensified as the administration's freeze on billions of dollars in humanitarian, development, and security assistance continues.

As humanitarian officials warn that lives could be at risk due to the halt in foreign aid, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has issued a new waiver to maintain some essential programs. The U.S. remains the world's largest donor of humanitarian aid, allocating less than 1% of its budget to foreign assistance, a smaller percentage compared to some other nations.

Administration officials did not provide comments on Saturday regarding concerns raised by lawmakers about the potential dissolution of USAID as an independent agency. Established by President John F. Kennedy during the Cold War to counter Soviet influence, USAID was created through the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and remains pivotal in addressing the growing influence of China, which has developed its own successful "Belt and Road" foreign aid program.

USAID staff members spent the weekend in group chats monitoring the status of their agency, sharing updates on the visibility of the USAID flag and signage outside their headquarters in Washington, D.C. As of late Saturday afternoon, these signs remained in place.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut emphasized that presidents cannot eliminate congressionally appropriated federal agencies through executive orders, warning that Trump may be "doubling down on a constitutional crisis." Murphy criticized the president, suggesting that such actions are characteristic of a leader seeking to enrich a select few at the expense of taxpayers.

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, who has advised Trump on reducing the federal government for efficiency, endorsed calls on social media to dissolve USAID, stating, "Live by executive order, die by executive order."

On January 20, the first day of his presidency, Trump implemented an unprecedented 90-day freeze on foreign assistance. Shortly after, the State Department suspended nearly all foreign aid programs, leading to the shutdown of thousands of initiatives globally and resulting in significant staff furloughs and layoffs.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has since sought to preserve essential life-saving emergency programs during the freeze. Aid organizations have reported confusion regarding which programs are still operational, contributing to paralysis within global aid efforts. Rubio noted that USAID programs are under review to identify those that do not align with U.S. national interests, but he did not mention plans to eliminate the agency altogether.

The shutdown of U.S. funded programs during this review period has reportedly led to increased cooperation from recipients of humanitarian, development, and security assistance. The debate over USAID's role has been contentious, with Republicans advocating for greater State Department control over the agency, while Democrats seek to maintain its autonomy and authority.

This legal struggle over the agency's future echoes past conflicts during Trump's first term, when the president attempted to cut the foreign operations budget significantly. When Congress rejected these cuts, the administration resorted to freezes and other tactics to limit the flow of funds already appropriated for foreign programs, a move later deemed a violation of the Impoundment Control Act by the General Accounting Office.

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