Today, in reaction to news that the Trump Administration is reducing the remaining USAID staff by more than 7,000, Oxfam America President and CEO Abby Maxman released the following statement:
“The process Elon Musk started barely two weeks ago to illegally dismantle an independent federal agency is all but complete. After putting 3,000 staff on leave last week, an additional 7,000 USAID employees – most of the remaining staff after the events of the past two weeks, and people who have dedicated their professional lives to helping others, saving lives, and promoting peace, prosperity and stability across the globe— are now on administrative leave. By dismissing almost all USAID staff, the Trump administration is recklessly throwing away decades of critical experience and expertise in the global fight against poverty, hunger, disease and inequality. Secretary Rubio claims that USAID’s lifesaving work will continue. But how will a staff of 290 continue to come close to achieving the impact of 10,000 people?
“Dismantling USAID with no plan for what will replace it is nothing more than a callous, destructive political power play that will have deadly consequences for millions of people living through dire humanitarian emergencies. It is cruel, intentionally harmful and directly at odds with U.S. interests, undermining this country’s global credibility and our decades-long work to promote peace, stability and democracy around the world. It is also a worrying sign of the power that Musk has over our democratic institutions, and a test case for how he can further upend other vital institutions that provide critical services to Americans and people around the world. We cannot allow an unqualified billionaire to shut down federal agencies and effectively take from the poorest people around the globe to further his own interests.
“Now is the time for action. We urge Congress to take a stand and stop allowing Musk to steamroll over its authority. We demand that the pause on foreign aid be reversed immediately and permanently, and that critical programming be allowed to go forward with all the proper resources. We need policies that work for the people they serve, not ones based on the politicized whims of a billionaire.”