The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)’s website has gone offline after President Donald Trump halted U.S. billions of dollars of foreign aid, although it is not clear whether the two are linked.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. Department of State, which has overall responsibility for USAID, via online contact form, for comment.
Why It Matters
Confusion is rife after Trump signed the Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid executive order freezing foreign aid as part of a reassessment of America’s financial commitments abroad, in line with the administration’s “America First” stance.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has since issued a waiver allowing exemptions for “lifesaving” assistance, including medicine, medical services, food and shelter, but it is unclear what these apply to specifically.
What To Know
The USAID website has gone dark, last archived on Saturday, according to WaybackMachine.
A message reading “this site can’t be reached” pops up when you try to access usaid.gov. Reuters reported that “two sources familiar with the discussions” said the Trump administration is trying to strip USAID of its independence and put it under the control of the State Department.
Currently, USAID operates as an independent agency, but the secretary of state provides foreign policy guidance and contributes input into the budget and on how funds are allocated, which is ultimately approved by Congress.
The administrator of USAID, who is nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, reports to the secretary of state.
What People Are Saying
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: “Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?”
Rubio has also said there would be a program-by-program review of which projects make “America safer, stronger or more prosperous.” The step of shutting down U.S.-funded programs during the 90-day review meant Washington was “getting a lot more cooperation” from recipients of humanitarian, development and security assistance. “Because otherwise you don’t get your money,” he added.
Trump’s Monday executive order states: “The United States’ foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values. They serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries.
“It is the policy of the United States that no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the president of the United States.”
What Happens Next
Within the next month, standards will be set to review all foreign assistance, aligning it with Trump’s policy agenda. The comprehensive government-wide review is expected to be completed within three months, culminating in a report. Rubio will use this report to make recommendations to the president.
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