A legal dispute has erupted concerning an international aid agency. Approximately two-thirds of USAID personnel are stationed abroad in 60 different countries. According to Randy Chester, the president of the American Foreign Service Association, repatriating these employees could incur a cost exceeding $20 million. Chester expressed concerns about the repercussions of such a move, stating that children would have to leave their schools, spouses could lose their jobs, and families would be plunged into uncertainty without a clear roadmap. He also highlighted the financial burden placed on American taxpayers by this sudden, disorganized, and chaotic upheaval.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced to the press that the administration would have preferred a more methodical approach to reviewing USAID. However, due to a lack of cooperation and instances of insubordination, a bottom-up strategy had to be adopted. A lawsuit has been filed asserting that only Congress has the authority to dismantle USAID in accordance with existing legislation.
Contrary to this argument, Hans von Spakovsky, a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, contended that the internal framework of USAID is not enshrined in statute. He suggested that this lack of statutory constraints also extends to the agency’s workforce and size. Therefore, if President Trump intends to reduce USAID to a mere shell of its former self, he may have the legal leeway to do so.
Any alterations to the structure of USAID are expected to be carried out in consultation with Congress, as outlined by the Congressional Research Service. Scott R. Anderson, a former U.S. diplomat and government attorney currently affiliated with the Brookings Institution, noted that the administration recently took steps to demonstrate its willingness to collaborate with lawmakers on the reorganization.
Anderson emphasized that if this collaboration is conducted in good faith, it could bolster the administration’s legal position. However, he cautioned that from a policy standpoint, the situation still has the potential to result in a disaster. The article originally appeared in USA TODAY under the title “Government workers sue to stop Trump from dismantling USAID.”
