(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .



USAID (website) is GONE [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-02-01

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) homepage is no longer online. An assumption is that it has been pulled likely as a precursor to a Trump administration Executive Order stating that USAID will now be under the Department of State. At this moment, no such EO exists, but rumors last night in the USAID world was that an EO is coming soon. This would be illegal as USAID was established by Congress as an independent entity and it would take Congress to change that status.

As many of you are aware, one of the immediate actions of the Trump administration was to put a freeze on nearly $70 billion of US foreign assistance. The administration then went after 60 of the top USAID officials in Washinton DC by putting them on paid administrative leave. What we later found out is that the Trump administration actually tried to fire them but was told they couldn’t do that, so it was paid administrative leave. The individual in the Human Capital and Talent Management (HCTM) that ended that paid administrative leave was then also put on paid leave and his order ending the paid leave was rescinded. So everyone is now still on paid administrative leave (which has a ten day time limit usually, you cannot put Federal workers on indefinite paid administrative leave that are not under investigation).

Late this week, employees at the main USAID offices at the Ronald Reagan Building (RRB) and the USAID Annex (UA) noticed that USAID flags, signs, and program pictures had been removed. At the UA, only empty picture frames were left on the wall. That sent up major flares and rumors started swirling about the demise of USAID. By that I mean, USAID would be placed under the State Department and would lose its independence. This would make USAID easier to control and remove staff as redundant. Late yesterday, four Democratic Congressmembers (Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Brian Schatz and Representatives Gregory Meeks and Lois Frankel) sent a letter to Acting Administrator Jason Gray expressing serious concerns about the recent Trump administration’s actions regarding USAID. The letter also demanded that they receive answers to the following information requests by Feb 10 (let’s be honest, there will be no response to these questions):

1) In carrying out this executive order and stop-work orders, what are the national security implications and the impact on beneficiaries of the pause in foreign assistance for each of these programs: PEPFAR, Global Health Security, Maternal-Child Health, Title II Food Assistance, Family Planning, and economic assistance for Ukraine, Jordan and Lebanon. 2) What impact will the foreign assistance pause have on our ability to compete with China? Do you anticipate China will utilize this opening to assert its priorities and fill the funding gap in countries where the United States has withdrawn its support? 3) A list of all programs subject to the foreign assistance pause or stop-work orders; the criteria used to pause the programs; as well as any waivers that have been granted, including in which countries they operate, and the amount and year of funding. 4) A list of all of the employment actions, across all hiring mechanisms that USAID has taken in response to the Executive Orders and how are you ensuring compliance with the law as USAID implements the Executive Orders. 5) A list of all persons (including position title, bureau or independent office) since January 20, 2025, placed on administrative leave, issued stop-work orders, or otherwise terminated from their position. Provide the legal rationale for each personnel action. 6) A list of all programs, affinity groups and initiatives that have been suspended and any other actions taken in response to the President’s Executive Order on ending DEI programs.

This also will probably end up going to the courts. Which is a battle the Trump administration both wants and relishes. They feel the judicial environement has changed to their favor. And they are, sadly, probably correct. USAID employees that I know are just 100% demoralized but they carry on trying to meet the mission the best they can.

[END]
---
[1] Url: https://dailykos.com/stories/2025/2/1/2300676/-USAID-website-is-GONE?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.

via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/