“The legislators gathered near the USAID Main Office on February 3 to criticize what, according to them, is an “illegal maneuver” by Ilon Maska”, – WRITE: www.radiosvoboda.org
The legislators gathered near the USAID main office in the center of Washington on February 3, to criticize what, according to them, is an “illegal maneuver” by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Ilona Maska, whom President Donald Trump has instructed to reduce the government.
Congress representatives held a protest mark after reporting that the agency’s staff were ordered not to appear at work on February 3, and later they were blocked by access to government e -mail and other accounts.
The legislators who performed at the Agency’s head office in Washington defended the USAID work and stated that these actions were an interference with Congress.
“We do not have a fourth branch of power named Ilon Musk. And this will become obvious, ”said MP Jamie Raskin (Democrat from Maryland).
He added that he does not know what the motives are guided by Ilon Musk, “but they have nothing to do with what was legally adopted by the US people through the United States Congress. We will protect USAID to the end. ”
Senator Chris Murphy (Democrat from Connecticut) stated that this step had created a constitutional crisis and promised to fight it. He called it an attempt to “transfer the government to the merchants of the unequal (in elections) billionaires and corporate interests, and we will not allow them to do so.”
Murray stated at a press conference in the Capitol that the freezing of already approved funds for USAID puts “trust at the lowest level” and asked what funds would be withdrawn.
According to Rubio, it is said “not about the termination of the programs that USAID deals with”, but about the overwhelming political leadership from the State Department.
Rubio stressed that the money that USAID receives is taxpayers’ money, but the agency has become a “global charity, separated from national interests.”
The White House is adamant about the need to reform the agency by publishing a statement that emphasized “wastefulness and abuse” that, according to him, exist on USAID, including $ 1.5 million, designed to “promote equality and inclusivity on working places and in the business communities of Serbia. ”
These include poverty control programs, health care programs, elimination of the consequences of natural disasters, as well as programs for promoting democracy and human rights protection.
The recent report of the US Congress Research Service (CRS) states that in the 2023 financial year USAID has managed more than $ 40 billion in total appropriations to support projects in about 130 countries. The top three were Ukraine, Ethiopia and Jordan. Afghanistan also entered the TOP-10 recipients of USAID financing.
Since the full -scale war of Russia against Ukraine, since February 2022, USAID has provided billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance, development and direct budget support to Ukraine.