Sec State Rubio Assumes Control of USAID, as Reports Fly it will be Abolished
Rubio explained that he was now acting head of USAID, which he described as “a completely unresponsive agency” which did not follow “policy directives” from the State Department.
Feb. 4, 2025
WASHINGTON DC, United States (Kurdistan24) While on a visit to the Central American country of El Salvador, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he had assumed control of USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development), America’s premier foreign aid agency, which disburses billions of dollars of assistance every year.
USAID was established as an independent agency in 1961, under President John F. Kennedy. However, on Monday,-Elon Musk, whom President Donald Trump has appointed to head a new office, the Department of Government Efficiency, announced that USAID was to be abolished.
It was unclear what authority the South African-born billionaire had to make such an announcement, and he seemed to be in competition with Rubio, who is also sharply critical of the agency, but has a less dramatic plan for its future,
Discussion about abolishing or radically reforming USAID is related to, but independent of, President Donald Trump’s decision, announced in the first hours of his new term, to suspend foreign assistance for 90 days, while those programs are reviewed.
The U.S. is the world’s largest donor of foreign aid, and while some exemptions have been made, including for Israel and Egypt, the pause in foreign assistance has caused hardship elsewhere.
That includes aid distributed in the camps in northeast Syria that house captured ISIS fighters, along with their wives and children. The extended pause has created concern that the suspension of aid could contribute to ISIS’s resurgence.
ISIS consists primarily of Iraqis and Syrians, as the figures from the al-Hol camp suggest. It holds some 37,000 people, of which 16,000 are Iraqis and 15,000 are Syrians. The remaining 6,000 come from 42 different countries, and U.S. aid to the camp has been suspended.
Read More: Trump’s Aid Freeze Worsens Humanitarian Crisis at Syria’s Al-Hol Camp
Musk Says USAID Ending; Secretary Rubio Takes Over
Early on Monday, Musk said on X that USAID was “beyond repair.” It was not “an apple with a worm in it,” he stated, but “USAID is a ball of worms.”
Musk said that he had reviewed USAID with Trump, who had agreed that it needed to be “shut down.”
However, it was not clear that Musk had the authority to say that, as he was contradicted by the Secretary of State.
As The Washington Post reported, also on Monday, Rubio had sent letters to “senior lawmakers from both parties,” in which he described USAID activities as often “conflicting, overlapping and duplicative” of the State Department’s work.”
“In consultation with Congress, USAID may move, reorganize, and integrate certain missions, bureaus, and offices into the Department of State, and the remainder of the Agency may be abolished consistent with applicable law,” he continued.
Rubio also explained that he was acting head of USAID, while he was appointing an individual whom the Post described as “a Trump loyalist,” Peter Marocco, “to oversee an agency review and potential cuts.”
Underscoring the point (and undercutting Musk), Rubio twice stated publicly on Monday that he was USAID’s acting head. One occasion was an interview on Fox News. The other took place in a more formal setting: a press conference in El Salvador.
“I’m the acting director of USAID.” Rubio told journalists there. “I’ve delegated that authority to someone, but I stay in touch with him.”
While he was in Congress, Rubio long served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Thus, he has significant experience with the issue.
Read More: US Senate Unanimously Approves Rubio as Secretary of State
“My frustration with USAID goes back to my time in Congress,” Rubio told journalists. “It’s a completely unresponsive agency.”
“It’s supposed to respond to policy directives at the State Department, and it refuses to do so.” he continued, as he explained that the work of USAID was under review.
Rubio avoided stating any conclusion. like USAID would be abolished. However, he did leave open that possibility, while the valuable part of its activities would be moved to the State Department.
Impact in Iraq of Aid Suspension
Over the weekend, the USAID website was taken down, so it is difficult now to understand just what programs have been affected.
That said, a few facts still appear. In 2023, Iraq received $590 million in U.S. assistance. Presumably, that money will not be disbursed for the next 90 days. That includes funds for the resettlement of Yezidis and Christians who were displaced by ISIS, which was a major focus of USAID’s work in Iraq.
Those funds also include money from USAID, in conjunction with the United Nations Development Program, to revive tourism in the Kurdistan Region.
In addition, there is the BEEM project at the Catholic University of Erbil. BEEM stands for “Building Economic Empowerment for Minorities in IKR and Ninawa Plains.”
It, too, is funded by USAID.