Today, the flags of the United States and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) fly at half staff in mourning for the agency’s systematic dismantling by the administration of the 47th President.
Established in 1961, USAID was designed to put most of the nation’s foreign assistance programs under a single agency. Prior to this administration, USAID distributed approximately $23 billion in assistance to people outside the United States each year, which amounts to 0.3% of the federal budget.
The President’s dismantling of this agency, which engenders such good will with other nations has been unilateral, illegal, in violation of agreements and commitments made by our nation. Like any government department or agency, USAID wasn’t perfect and could probably be more efficient, but a wholesale dismantling of the agency doesn’t solve that problem. Shutting down USAID creates more problems than it solves.
The systematic dismantling of USAID is just another example of the unprecedented and unconstitutional actions taken by this administration to hamper the ability of our nation’s government to do its job.
Cruesbreck Flags 