The Trump administration told Congress on Friday it would cut nearly all remaining jobs at the U.S. Agency for International Development and shut the agency. It has proven to be a slush fund for leftist Democrats.
In an internal memo, USAID staff was told that all positions not required by law would be eliminated in July and September.
The State Department will transfer certain functions to the agency while discontinuing others that do not align with the Trump administration’s priorities.
Sec. Rubio emphasized that US foreign assistance programs will now be refocused to benefit the nation and its citizens directly.
“We are continuing essential lifesaving programs and making strategic investments that strengthen our partners and our own country. This is yet another promise made and delivered to the American people,” he added.
DOGE Employee Takes Over
On March 20, Jeremy Lewin, a Department of Government Efficiency employee, took over running the day-to-day operations at USAID from Pete Marocco.
In an email to staff Friday, he said terminations would go into effect on July 1 or Sept. 2. Although workers may be asked to work in some capacity, the email obtained by NPR said they were ordered to leave “the front office” by 1 p.m. Friday without a reason given.
“As you can imagine, there will be lots of work to migrate operations and responsibility to the State Department responsibly,” Lewin wrote in the email to staff.
He noted that overseas staff “will be offered safe and fully compensated return travel.”
Rubio said the State Department also plans to ” discontinue the remaining USAID functions that do not align with Administration priorities.”
“Unfortunately, USAID strayed from its original mission long ago,” he said. “As a result, the gains were too few and the costs were too high.”
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