By Ashlee Banks
Special to the AFRO
Congressional lawmakers slammed President Trump and his cohort billionaire Elon Musk for their plans to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID.
U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.-1) told the AFRO that this move will greatly impact American aid workers and their families, and undermine their efforts in countries throughout Africa and the rest of the world.
“People are dying today as we speak,” said the Illinois congressman. “Aid workers are literally trapped without a paycheck. They cannot return to the United States of America. They no longer have the authority to open the storage bins to give out the Malaria vaccinations that we’ve already purchased [or] HIV drugs we’ve already purchased.”
“It’s just mean; it’s cruel,” he added. “We’re seeing a level of ‘cruel’ that’s taking place right now in Haiti, in the Sudan, in the border states around Kenya. It’s awful. And this is callousness. It’s cruelty.”
Democratic lawmakers contend that dismantling USAID could have particularly devastating consequences for Black nations, many of which rely on its funding for critical infrastructure, public health initiatives and economic development programs. USAID has historically played a key role in supporting healthcare systems, combating food insecurity, and financing small businesses in African and Caribbean nations. Without this aid, countries already grappling with debt and post-pandemic recovery may face worsening poverty, weakened institutions and increased vulnerability to foreign exploitation.
U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.-4) told the AFRO that destroying USAID will also impact U.S. diplomatic relations and foreign policy.
“[USAID] provides foreign assistance and our boots on the ground to help people in other nations, particularly in underdeveloped countries. Helping them [governments] make life better for the people is a great use of soft power,” he said.
Johnson further said that eliminating USAID could also erode U.S. influence in these regions, allowing geopolitical rivals to fill the void with potentially predatory investments.
“Dismantling USAID makes war more likely,” said the Georgia Democrat. “So to win friends, that’s what we do with our aid and assistance programs, and to shut those down is a [mistake].”
The Trump-Vance administration has unveiled an aggressive plan to drastically slash staffing for USAID projects across the globe, a move widely seen as a step toward dismantling the agency. In response, federal workers’ associations swiftly filed a lawsuit, urging a federal court to halt the shutdown, contending that President Trump lacks the legal authority to dissolve an agency established through congressional legislation.
The proposal would shrink the workforce to fewer than 300 employees from its current 8,000 direct hires and contractors, while an indeterminate number of the 5,000 locally employed international staff would be left to oversee the few remaining humanitarian initiatives the administration intends to maintain. USAID personnel stationed abroad were given a 30-day deadline, beginning Feb. 7, to return to the U.S., with the government covering relocation costs. Those choosing to extend their stay, barring a specific hardship waiver, may be required to finance their own living expenses.
On Feb. 7, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, put a halt to the president’s orders, saying the moves would have exposed the U.S. workers and their spouses and children to unwarranted risk and expense.
On Feb. 6, Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited the Dominican Republic and reaffirmed that the U.S. government would continue distributing foreign aid but emphasized a shift toward assistance that aligns more closely with American strategic interests. The administration has previously signaled its intent to dismantle USAID as an autonomous agency and integrate its surviving programs under the purview of the State Department.
Reps. Johnson and Jackson call the decimation of USAID illegal without congressional approval.
“To shut this agency down is a grave error,” he said. “For a president to do this without congressional authority is unconstitutional and it’s a naked grab for power that does not exist in the hands of an executive under our constitution.”
“We have to fight this,” added Johnson.
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