The USAID Brouhaha

There's much weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth among Mr. Trump's political opponents over his decision to transfer USAID (United States Agency for International Development) to the State Department and to shut down many of its programs.

There also seems to be some confusion among casual observers as to what USAID is. It's not an agency that dispenses aid to the world's hungry poor. Rather it's an agency that sends taxpayer dollars to various left-wing causes around the globe.

The Free Beacon's Adam Kredo explains why the Trump administration is attempting to rein it in:

As the Trump administration works to shrink the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and place it under the State Department's umbrella, congressional Democrats have argued that the move "endangers lives and undermines U.S. national security."

But away from funding for lifesaving medicines like HIV drugs, funding that is exempt from the State Department's broader foreign aid freeze, USAID has spent millions in taxpayer cash on left-wing priorities like climate activism—and bankrolled groups linked to Palestinian terrorism.

The agency's career staffers have battled the administration's 90-day freeze on foreign funding, seeking exemptions that would funnel tens of millions of dollars to agency bureaus that cover issues like "environmental justice" and "LGBTQI+ Inclusive Development," the Washington Free Beacon reported.

The Trump administration responded by putting scores of those staffers on administrative leave....[Secretary of State Marco Rubio] said that the State Department will not gut foreign aid altogether, but rather cut "programs that run counter to what we're trying to do in our national strategy."

Kredo give us some examples of the sort of USAID programs Rubio intends to cut:

• $1 Million To make disabled Tajikistanis 'Climate Leaders'
• $1 Million for foreign DEI programs, including 'Indigenous Language Technology' in Guatemala
• Nearly $100K to a Palestinian activist group whose leaders hailed the murder of an American
• $1 Million to a Hamas-linked charity
• $15 Million for 'Contraceptives and Condoms' in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan

Kredo elaborates on each of these at the link. Other examples of similar abuse of taxpayer money can be found here and here. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reads off a few more for the benefit of the press:

It should be mentioned, too, that the money sent to fund these recipient groups does not come directly from tax revenues. Rather the government adds to our multi-trillion dollar debt by borrowing the money it sends to the Taliban so that they can buy condoms.

Some USAID programs are worthwhile and Rubio assures us that these will be continued under the aegis of the Stae Department. Jim Geraghty lists a number of good causes in his Morning Jolt column, but there has to be responsible oversight to separate the good from the ridiculous.

That oversight has been missing at USAID so there's been no serious attempt to ensure that the money goes to worthwhile causes or even to the people and groups it's earmarked for. For instance, money that's sent to a charity in Gaza to help people suffering from the ravages of war may well be going to equip Hamas fighters, but apparently no one at USAID knows where it winds up.

It's gratifying that we now have an administration in place that intends to be better stewards of our resources than the previous administration had been.