Senate Dems Plot Payback for Trump’s USAID Shake-Up
Senate Democrats are plotting to retaliate against the Trump administration after attempts to restructure or possibly close the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which provides foreign aid and supports democracy around the globe.
This is the latest in a series of developments in the chaotic and controversial takeover of USAID by the White House.
On Monday, Democrat Sen. Brian Schatz announced a “blanket hold” on all of Trump’s State Department nominees, saying in a statement, “Dismantling USAID is illegal and makes us less safe. USAID was created by federal law and is funded by Congress. Donald Trump and Elon Musk can’t just wish it away with a stroke of a pen–they need to pass a law.”
Tuesday’s new response is even more aggressive than Sen. Schatz’s freeze. Sen. Richard Blumenthal told Axios he is willing to delay all Trump nominees in the Senate Judiciary Committee. He also said the Senate Democratic Caucus will act as though there is a blanket hold on all Trump nominations.
The move comes after weeks of scheming by Senate Democrats to push back against the Trump administration.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has taken control of USAID as its acting administrator. He insisted in a Fox News interview on Monday that the takeover was about reforming the agency, but the “rank insubordination” of its employees required “dramatic steps” to control the agency.
Hundreds of employees have been shut out of their emails. Two security officials were placed on administrative leave for trying to prevent Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing secure spaces and classified documents for which they did not have clearance.
Musk has threatened to shut down the humanitarian agency, calling it a “criminal organization” for resisting DOGE efforts.
USAID is a criminal organization.
Time for it to die. https://t.co/sWYy6fyt1k— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 2, 2025
Democrats complain the efforts to restructure or shut down the agency are “unconstitutional.” On Monday, the Congressional Research Service supported them, saying, “Congressional authorization would be required to abolish, move or consolidate USAID.”
Outside Washington, tech billionaire and philanthropist, Bill Gates threw shade at Musk for his power grab. Gates defended USAID’s work, especially on vaccine distribution, and chastised Musk for calling it’s employees “worms.”