President Trump Freezes U.S. Foreign Assistance and Orders Review of USAID Programs, Resulting in Suspension of Dozens of Career Officials in Washington D.C.

Suspension of USAID Staff Amid Trump’s Freeze on Foreign Aid

On Monday, dozens of career government officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were put on administrative leave after being accused of attempting to bypass President Trump’s executive order freezing foreign aid. According to a staff member who spoke with The Wall Street Journal, 57 individuals were impacted by the decision.

The Reason Behind the Suspension

The newly appointed acting administrator of USAID, Jason Gray, sent an email to staff explaining the action.

In the message, obtained by The Washington Post, Gray stated, “We have identified several actions within USAID that appear to be designed to circumvent the President’s Executive Orders and the mandate from the American people.

” He went on to say that those involved had been placed on leave with full pay and benefits, pending further investigation.

Trump’s Freeze on Foreign Assistance

On January 24th, President Trump announced a sweeping freeze on foreign aid, directing both the U.S. State Department and USAID to halt foreign assistance until a comprehensive review of the programs could be completed.

The only exceptions were Israel, Egypt, and cases involving urgent humanitarian needs like emergency food assistance.

The pause is set to last 90 days and is intended to ensure all foreign aid aligns with Trump’s “America First” agenda.

Additionally, the administration warned of potential disciplinary action against any staff who ignored the directive.

The Impact of the Freeze

The freeze affects the U.S.’s $60 billion annual foreign aid budget, which includes a wide range of programs, from childhood vaccination initiatives to counter-terrorism training.

The suspension has led to the halting of several critical efforts.

For instance, a program that combats global HIV has saved 25 million lives but is now paused. Assistance to a Syrian refugee camp housing 40,000 people has also been cut off, and famine relief to Sudan, where over 24 million people are in urgent need of food, is disrupted.

Even military aid to countries like Ukraine, Jordan, and Taiwan has been halted.

The State Department’s Stance and Waiver Process

 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a ‘stop-work’ order over the weekend, which prevents nongovernmental organizations and charities from using American funding they’ve already received while the programs undergo review. Humanitarian organizations have quickly responded, flooding the State Department with waiver requests, stressing the urgency of continued funding to prevent loss of life.

 

However, the State Department insists the three-month pause is necessary to ensure foreign aid is being spent efficiently and in line with national priorities.

 

Any waivers must undergo two levels of scrutiny: one by USAID leadership and another by Rubio.

 

According to a memo obtained by Reuters, waivers must be justified by showing that the aid is necessary for life-saving purposes, cannot be handled by U.S. staff, or presents national security risks.

 

Thorough Review of All Foreign Assistance Programs

The memo emphasizes that all foreign aid programs will undergo a comprehensive review during the pause.

“It is important to emphasize that it is no longer business as usual.

Every program will be thoroughly scrutinized,” it states, signaling a significant shift in how foreign assistance is handled in the coming months.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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