US secretary of state thinks USAID should be in line with US national interests, not charity cases
www.pravda.com.ua
Wed, 05 Feb 2025 11:34:05 +0200
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who recently became acting head of USAID, has said that international aid should be a tool to promote US national interests, not charity.
He has emphasised that the Trump administration does not plan to completely cut off support, but only to review payments, cutting ineffective programmes and keeping those that make sense.
Source European Pravda with reference to Rubios briefing in Costa Rica Details Rubio stressed that the United States froze foreign aid to review it and make it beneficial to partners, and the mechanism of granting exceptions allows USAID to maintain funding for critical projects across the world. Rubio said that he continues to support foreign aid.
Quote But foreign aid is not charity.
It exists for the purpose of advancing the national interest of the United States.
Every dollar we will spend as long as Im Secretary of State and as long as President Trump is in the White House is going to be a dollar thats advancing our national interests.
More details Rubio noted that before the funding freeze, the Trump administration could not find out anything about some of the programmes, and USAID refused to tell us anything.
We wont tell you what the money is going to, where the money is for, who has it, which contractor its been in some cases it goes through four different contractors before it reaches the intended recipient.
These are not my numbers.
These are USAIDs numbers, he said.
Rubio pointed out that in some cases, 101213, and maybe less, of USAID money actually reached the recipient, while the rest went to overheads and bureaucracy.
This isnt my money.
This is taxpayer money.
So, were not going to eliminate foreign aid.
Were going to have foreign aid that makes sense.
Were going to have foreign aid that works, he said.
Background Elon Musk is leading the Trump administrations efforts to shut down USAID, making increasingly harsh accusations against it.
On Monday, 3 February, agency employees were ordered to stay at home.
Meanwhile, Rubio has been appointed acting head of USAID.
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