WASHINGTON—Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a statement on the decision by the Trump Administration to place thousands of federal employees at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on leave and taking steps to terminate 1,600 other employees. Over the past month, the Trump Administration has empowered Elon Musk to dismantle USAID and halt nearly all foreign assistance programs, in violation of the law.
“I am deeply troubled by the dismissal of thousands of federal workers at USAID without cause, which was done without consultation with Congress on the ‘reorganization’ of the agency. The dismissal of USAID personnel to date has already made it difficult to execute the limited foreign assistance that the administration has supposedly approved. Any further terminations will make it nearly impossible to ensure that life-saving assistance reaches its intended recipients.
“The abrupt and sweeping dismissal of thousands of dedicated public servants is an insult to their years of service to our nation. USAID personnel have served with honor and dedication to make the world safer, stronger and more prosperous. These unnecessary actions will further erode U.S. leadership, jeopardize thousands of lives and create a power vacuum for our competitors and adversaries to fill.”
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