First in CNN: USAID former leaders are pronounced against Trump’s attempts to dismantle the agency

CNN
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Five former leaders of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) of all Republican and Democratic administrations spoke against the Trump administration attempts to dismantle the humanitarian agency and asked the Congress to “quickly protect the statutory role of the agency”.

In a statement on Wednesday obtained first by CNN, the five ex -administrators said that “weakening and even destroying the agency does not benefit any political party and harms all Americans.” They defended Usaid’s work force, which was subject to ruthless rhetorical attacks by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

“While we do not agree on all the issues, we totally agree that Usaid and the US foreign assistance programs are vital for our interests, that USAID career men and women have served each one of We, and what is the duty of administration and congress quickly protect the statutory role of the agency, ”wrote Samantha Power, Gayle Smith, Andrew Natsios, J. Brian Atwood and Peter McPherson.

They served under the administrations of Biden, Obama, George W. Bush, Clinton and Reagan, respectively.

“Do not maintain the global commitment that allows foreign aid, honor the men and women of our civil service as we do with those of the Armed Forces, or weakening and even destroying the agency does not benefit any political party and harms all the Americans, ”they wrote.

The Trump administration took a series of measures to dismantle the agency, a measure that, according to the Congress Research Service, violates the law.

The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, was appointed interim administrator of the agency.

“USAID can transfer, reorganize and integrate certain missions, offices and offices in the State Department, and the rest of the agency can be abolished in accordance with the applicable law,” he told legislators earlier this week.

For days, the agency has put thousands of contractors in leave, including those who act as diplomats abroad, or have blocked access to critical systems of the agency. On Tuesday afternoon, officials hired directly by the US government began receiving low notices. That same night, the agency informed its workforce that “all personnel hired directly by USAID”, with some exceptions, “will be on a global administrative decline” this Friday at 11:59 pm

The notice warned that Usaid was “preparing a plan” to “organize and pay the return trip to the United States within a period of 30 days” of the personnel destined abroad and anticipate “the cessation” of the contractors who “are not considered essential ”.