Overview

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s June 30 order formally absorbed USAID’s operations into the State Department, ending its independent role.
• The State Department plans to unveil a new foreign assistance blueprint called America First this week to replace USAID’s global aid programs.
• Thousands of USAID employees were abruptly locked out of systems and offices and lost their positions as funding freezes disrupted programs in conflict-affected regions such as Sudan, Syria and Gaza.
• Former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, along with advocates like Bono, condemned the move as undermining life-saving initiatives including PEPFAR, which has saved 25 million lives.
• Only Congress can dissolve a federal agency, a fact that has prompted constitutional questions and warnings that China and Russia could exploit the aid vacuum.