In advance of Secretary of State Rubio’s appearance next week before congressional appropriators and authorizers, his first congressional testimony since being confirmed in January, the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) is highlighting ten key questions lawmakers should raise about the Administration’s reorganization of U.S. foreign assistance based upon our recent recommendations to the Administration and Congress.
For decades, American foreign policy has been grounded in Defense, Diplomacy, and Development—a triad known as the “3Ds.” Together, these pillars have projected American strength, values, and global leadership. However, the Administration’s March 28 Congressional Notification (CN) outlines a sweeping reorganization that eliminates the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as an independent agency, lays off nearly all of the agency’s workforce by July 1, and buries what remains of development and humanitarian functions within the State Department—without clear leadership or capacity to manage them.
MFAN urges Senators and Representatives to raise these ten important issues during Secretary Rubio’s testimony:
- Rationale for Leadership Structure:
- Question: What is the rationale for not having a single Senate-confirmed leader for development and humanitarian work? How will this structure, as outlined in the CN, ensure strong, consistent leadership in these critical areas?
- Coherence of Foreign Assistance Programs:
- Question: How will a coherent foreign assistance programs system be created with development and humanitarian functions scattered across different bureaus and offices?
- Management of Development Programs:
- Question: How will the State Department manage Congressionally mandated development programs effectively after laying off the vast majority of USAID's development experts? What steps are being taken to ensure that these programs continue to meet their objectives?
- Continuity of USAID Awards:
- Question: What is the plan to ensure smooth continuity of USAID's remaining awards and new work? How will the transition be managed to avoid disruptions in critical development and humanitarian projects?
- Surging Capacity for Humanitarian Work:
- Question: How will the State Department quickly surge staff capacity to take on additional humanitarian work with the growing needs around the world? What specific measures are being taken to ensure that the State Department has the necessary expertise and resources to handle these responsibilities?
- Management of Food Security and Agriculture Assistance:
- Question: Why is the Office of Food Security not included under the F Bureau? How will the Administration manage food security and agriculture assistance programs with a small office in the E Bureau? What specific strategies are in place to ensure that these programs remain robust and effective?
- Future of the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART):
- Question: Will USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) concept be absorbed into the State Department, and if so, how will DARTs continue to perform their critical function? What steps are being taken to ensure that DART remains a robust and effective response mechanism?
- Transparency and Accountability:
- Question: How will the State Department meet the requirements of the Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act (FATAA) and restore public reporting? What steps are being taken to ensure that the public has access to transparent and accurate information about foreign assistance programs?
9. Legality of USAID Termination:
- Question: USAID was established by statute, as were multiple offices and bureaus in State. What are the Administration’s plans to propose legislation to alter those provisions of law? In the absence of congressional repeal of the statute creating USAID as an independent agency, what are your plans for adhering to the statutory requirement for USAID to exist?
- Legality of Agency Terminations:
- Question: In addition to USAID, other U.S. development agencies like the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), United States Institute of Peace (USIP), Inter-American Foundation, and the Peace Corps are being targeted for severe cuts to their budgets and staff or shut down. These agencies have all served our nation well and research shows they are effective. They have few staff and invest heavily in local organizations and communities; the State Department should learn from them to improve foreign assistance. What do you see as the future contributions of these other U.S. agencies to development and humanitarian response?
Next week’s House and Senate hearings are vital venues for Congress to get answers to critical questions, to ensure accountability, and – most importantly – protect America’s legacy of principled global leadership.
Stay tuned.
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About MFAN:
The Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) is a bipartisan coalition of international development practitioners, policy advocates, and experts committed to making U.S. foreign assistance more effective, accountable, and results-driven.
For media inquiries, please reach out to Tod Preston, MFAN Executive Director, at Tod.Preston@modernizeaid.net
