Democrats Want To Halt State Confirmations, Pending Rubio Testimony On USAID
Musk and DOGE unilaterally destroyed independent agency
A trio of Democratic senators have written the leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, seeking to hold on any further confirmations of Trump nominees for the State Department, until Secretary of State Marco Rubio answers questions about the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (US AID).
Sens Chris Murphy, of Connecticut; Chris Van Hollen, of Maryland; and Jeff Merkley, of Oregon; sent a letter to the chair and ranking Democrat of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), respectively — requesting a holdover on Tuesday’s business meeting amid the illegal dismantling of USAID and the wrongful termination of foreign aid contracts.
Led by Donald Trump’s billionaire advisor, Elon Musk, and his team known as “DOGE,” the Trump administration effectively dismantled US AID, an independent agency which distributed humanitarian aid worldwide. The agency was created by an act of Congress in the 1960s. The administration also canceled millions in payments to contractors who already completed work for US AID, including American farmers who provided food assistance.
These actions are illegal and usurp the role of Congress and its sole power of the purse.
“We should not confirm any additional nominees for State Department positions until Secretary Rubio appears before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and fully explains the dismantling of USAID, the firing of dedicated public servants, and the unilateral cancellation of contracts without the consultation with Congress,” the senator’s’ letter said. “What was billed as a 90-day ‘good faith’ review has become a six-week unconstitutional purge of billions in foreign aid programs, completely shrouded in darkness.
“As of today, Secretary Rubio has not briefed the committee a single time to explain this wholesale destruction of American soft power and its impacts on our national security,” it added. “The administration is also refusing to spend appropriated funds, in direct violation of the Constitution and our laws, and has thus far failed to fully comply with a Supreme Court order to pay organizations for work that has already been completed.
“These issues must be resolved immediately, but at the very least, there should be no business as usual until Secretary Rubio testifies before the Committee.”
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