Management Overhaul at USAID
On Friday, Secretary of State and acting national security adviser Marco Rubio announced that Russ Vought, the Director of Management and Budget, will lead the final phase of closing down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This move wraps up months of cuts and restructuring under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Rubio shared insights on social media, noting: “I joked with @potus that there were four jobs. He suggested I hand one to my friend @russvought47. And that’s exactly what I did. Since January, this effort has saved taxpayers hundreds of billions. Now, USAID is officially in closeout mode, with several small core programs transferring to the State Department. Russ is now tasked with overseeing the conclusion of an agency that had lost its way.”
Vought responded in a tweet, expressing his eagerness, “I’m glad you helped me! Let’s go!”
This change comes after significant legislative actions aimed at USAID. In July, Congress approved a $9 billion retirement package that, supported by Trump, cuts taxpayer funds for PBS, NPR, and USAID. The House narrowly passed this measure with a 216-213 vote, followed by a Senate approval of 51-48, marking a victory for fiscal conservatives.
The retirement package, led by Senator Eric Schmidt (R-MO), signifies the first substantial reduction in spending in decades, with backing from Rubio and Vought. The cuts not only halted public broadcasting support but also significantly reduced USAID’s funding for foreign aid grants, which essentially undermined the agency.
Earlier this year, the administration initiated the dismantling of USAID, moving to terminate thousands of jobs as the agency’s remaining functions were absorbed. By May, Rubio had described the iconic agency as part of a broader “foreign aid industrial complex” during his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, revealing that only a mere “12 cents of all dollars” allocated by USAID actually reached intended recipients.
Documents have surfaced highlighting various controversies tied to USAID’s operations, including issues surrounding its funding, which involved a long-term effort sending thousands of virus samples to the Wuhan Virus Institute. Rubio and other officials cited these examples to argue that USAID had “lost its way a long time ago.”
The Department is now undergoing what could be its most extensive reorganization since the Cold War, aiming to eliminate domestic offices, simplify decision-making, and integrate operations to better reflect President Trump’s agenda on foreign support. While Rubio upholds the importance of continued aid, it will now be funneled through independent agencies and localized departments in U.S. embassies.
