02.27.25

Senator Murray Blasts Trump Admin for Lawlessly Cancelling Lifesaving USAID, State Programs Important to America’s National Interests

Murray: “The Trump administration has chosen to spit in the face of the law and Congress—expressing total disdain for a court order mandating that they release the foreign aid funding they had illegally withheld.”

Murray: “If Ebola, Marburg, or any other infectious disease makes it to our shores, it will be thanks to Elon and Trump—two billionaires without a clue who are positively smug about their own ignorance.”

***VIDEO HERE***

Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, took to the Senate floor to speak out about the Trump administration’s decision on Wednesday to illegally terminate 90% of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and 60% of State Department programs.

Senator Murray has been sounding the alarms about the Trump administration flagrantly violating the law to block enacted funding across government, dismantle long-established agencies like USAID, and recklessly fire federal workers en masse. Earlier this week, she blasted the Trump for permanently eliminating 1,600 USAID employees positions in violation of the law.

Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

“M. President, I come to the floor today to make a simple point: the law cannot be in the eye of the beholder.

“The law is the law—but yet again, we are seeing the Trump administration break the law. 

“Many of us have been closely following the Trump administration’s illegal freeze of congressionally appropriated funding, including of foreign aid—not just from the State Department, but also from USAID, the African Development Foundation, Inter-American Foundation, and other independent agencies.

“Each of these agencies’ existence as an independent entity has long been enshrined in statute, and reaffirmed by bipartisan majorities in both chambers year-after-year in annual appropriations.

“Our appropriations law also explicitly requires the administration to notify and consult with Congress before undertaking any efforts to reorganize, realign, or downsize foreign affairs agencies—as the sweeping reductions in force issued last week and many other brazen actions we’ve seen clearly seek to do.

“The Administration’s actions—including firing the USAID Inspector General and the State IG—will make waste and fraud more likely and will prevent even foreign assistance programs allegedly supported by the administration from being effectively implemented and will also effectively block hundreds of millions of dollars for other programs enacted into law by bipartisan majorities.

“Needless to say, the Trump administration has not consulted or notified Congress about these changes—that is in violation of the law.

“But this week they took a further step. The Trump administration has chosen to spit in the face of the law and Congress—expressing total disdain for a court order mandating that they release the foreign aid funding they had illegally withheld.

“When finally told they must comply, Secretary Rubio personally approved the termination of 90% of USAID programs, and 60% of State Department programs—virtually overnight.

“They terminated more than $58 billion in multi-year programs, and have told us they have no intention of utilizing those funds.

“The termination of those awards is absolutely not what Congress intended. Congress appropriated the funding, on a bipartisan basis, with the express intent to see those dollars spent.

“This is not trivial stuff. We are talking about resources that often mean the difference between life and death. Resources that are imperative, not just because they are lifesaving but because they are an investment in our own national security—and U.S. businesses.

“Let’s take Ebola for example: USAID helps other countries around the world respond to and contain Ebola outbreaks. That’s pretty darn important because there is no known cure for Ebola.

“Thanks to the good work of USAID—along with our international partners, often supported by USAID awards—we have never had an Ebola outbreak here at home.

“Yesterday, at President Trump’s cabinet meeting, Elon Musk even admitted that, ‘yes we want to fight Ebola’—of course, then he said, they accidentally cut USAID’s Ebola prevention efforts, but that it had been ‘restored’ with no ‘interruption.’

“Yet we know for a fact that is a lie. U.S.-based companies implementing these programs received termination notices yesterday.

“Any basic accounting of USAID’s capacity to stop outbreaks abroad shows quite plainly that any disease prevention efforts supported by the U.S. at this point are merely symbolic.

“You cannot break the foundation of public health systems overseas and expect that it won’t have a damaging impact here at home. This makes America less safe.

“If Ebola, Marburg, or any other infectious disease makes it to our shores, it will be thanks to Elon and Trump—two billionaires without a clue who are positively smug about their own ignorance. 

“But it’s not just our infectious disease response that has now been gutted. Everything from resources to help prevent kids from getting malaria to aid for refugees in war torn places like Syria where it is directly in our national security interest to foster stability.

“And it’s not just resources for far-away places—this will hit home in blue and red states. U.S. universities in my home state, in Indiana, in Florida, in Texas, and other states have had their partnerships terminated.

“American students from across our country that are now participating in exchange programs overseas are impacted by this.

“To put it into perspective for my colleagues: 5,800 of 6,300 USAID grants and contracts are being terminated—that’s nine out of ten—and that’s not to mention 4,100 of 6,800 State Department grants and contracts.

“And the only detail we have is from NGOs, faith-based organizations, and U.S. contractors sending these termination notices to our committee.

“We do not have one shred of detail from the State Department. Not one shred. The scale is staggering—and it shows you that this administration’s scheme is to bulldoze right through restraining orders and court orders so that by the time the law catches up to them, the damage will have been done.

“Compliance is easy at that point. What’s left to fix once you’ve burned everything to the ground?

“This administration knows full well they are breaking the law. They are showing us all in plain view that their goal is to do irreparable damage—as much as possible, as fast as possible.

“Well, I am sounding the alarm because this illegal power grab is in direct violation of congressional intent and appropriations law.

“The Supreme Court should act with haste to bring this administration to account and ensure that money Congress appropriated gets to where it was intended.

“Whether it’s President Trump, or Elon Musk, or the Secretary of State calling the shots, Congress has no visibility into DOGE’s actions, frustrating our ability to write funding bills when government funding runs out in weeks. 

“By ignoring the law and congressional intent, the administration has created chaos, they have eroded trust in the United States, and made way for Russia and China to take advantage of this leadership vacuum.

“No one should fall for this thin veneer about ‘efficiency’ while the Administration racks up legal fees, overdue payments to contractors, pays people not to work, and forces a global recall of staff.

“We have a process to avoid this kind of chaos. The President submits his or her budget request to Congress. Congress holds hearings publicly, and writes and passes bills that become law. 

“We have explicit notification and consultation requirements for foreign assistance funding for a reason.

“M. President—do I need to march down to the National Archives? Do I need to make sure we still have a Constitution?

“Do I need to check whether the laws we passed are still there? Or did they start running them through a shredder? Because as blatant and persistent as it has been, no one—no one—should expect this kind of lawlessness to fade away.

“I cast my votes and speak on this floor as a voice for the people of the state I represent, Washington state. I was not elected to let the President or some unaccountable billionaire decide how their tax dollars get spent.

“Every Senator here should speak loudly with one unified voice: Congress holds the power of the purse, and no President can unilaterally abolish an entire agency or ignore our appropriations laws.”

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