Since Inauguration Day, the Trump administration has worked to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), with their efforts escalating since February 3. The shuttering of USAID may be a sign of things to come at other federal agencies, including those funding FABBS sciences.
USAID is an independent agency within the executive branch. It is one of the largest official aid agencies in the world and promotes US interests via financial aid and developmental assistance in over 100 countries. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy created the agency via executive order to implement the Foreign Assistance Act passed by Congress that same year. Congress mandated USAID’s existence in the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998.
Historically, foreign aid has had bipartisan support, with Republicans and Democrats in both Congress and the White House championing it as an effective tool to advance American interests abroad. However, debates about foreign aid have become much more partisan in recent years.
Throughout his campaign in 2024, then-candidate Donald Trump promoted “America first” policies, indicating that, as president, he would not continue the United States’ current foreign policy agenda. On January 20, Inauguration Day, Trump issued an executive order, Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, which placed a three-month, near-total freeze on all US foreign aid during which all programs would be reviewed. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, having been confirmed on January 20, issued a waiver on January 28, allowing “existing life-saving humanitarian assistance programs” to continue during this review period. Nevertheless, much of USAID’s work has been halted. Rubio has also been announced as USAID’s acting administrator.
The agency’s official website was shut down on January 27 and a week later Elon Musk announced plans to shut down the agency altogether. That same day, employees were ordered not to report to USAID headquarters. Musk leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which Trump created via executive order. However, no DOGE employees – including Musk – have Congressional approval and none have received official security clearances, prompting concerns about their access to sensitive USAID data. Trump, Musk, and others in the administration have repeatedly stated that USAID is corrupt, fraudulent, and wasteful – among other things – but have yet to offer evidence for these claims.
Next, the administration announced that the vast majority of USAID staff would be placed on administrative leave at 11:59pm on February 6. Two unions representing many of these workers – the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) and American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) – filed a lawsuit, seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) and preliminary injunction against the administration. Along with many others (including Democrats in Congress), these groups argued that the administration’s actions regarding USAID violate the separation of powers, in that only Congress has the authority to shutter the agency because its existence is mandated by law.
Judge Carl J. Nichols, a Trump appointee from his first administration, granted a TRO on February 7, which remains in effect through February 14. The order prevents the administration from placing USAID staff on leave and reinstates many employees who were already furloughed.
Despite the Judge’s order, USAID staff who reported to headquarters this week have been denied entry, suggesting that the Trump administration is not yet complying. In response, two non-profit organizations – Democracy Forward and Public Citizen Litigation Group – filed an emergency motion for a “show cause hearing” on behalf of AFSA and AFGE. In a “show cause hearing”, an individual or party must explain why they did not follow a court order. At this time, it is unknown if such a hearing will occur or if there will be any consequences for the Trump administration’s non-compliance.
The Trump administration has also halted work at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Like USAID, CFPB is an independent agency of the federal government that is authorized by Congress and the legality of moves to shutter it is in question. FABBS will continue to monitor the situation at these and other science-funding agencies.
