Overview

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio said USAID is "officially in close out mode" with a small set of core programs already moved to the State Department.
• White House budget director Russ Vought was named to manage the shutdown, with Rubio saying Vought is now at the helm of the closeout.
• Vought, a fiscal hawk and longtime USAID critic, also serves as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau while running the Budget Office.
• Rubio previously announced USAID ceased operations on July 1 after the administration absorbed the agency into State and fired or placed many staff on leave.
• USAID was an early target of Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency, who alleged fraud, and the administration now faces lawsuits from former employees and NGOs even as conservative allies praised Vought’s role.