In the Congress, the Trump administration and top officials of the Allies, who want to abolish the US agency for international development, have accused the agency of misusing taxpayers’ funds. But many of his claims were misleading or lack of context.
The agency is a long target for conservative critics who have raised questions about the price of foreign aid, has faced faster downturn in the past week. After freezing foreign aid for 90 days, the Trump administration said it would reduce the agency’s workforce rapidly, though a federal judge temporarily stopped the project’s elements on Friday.
Gut USAID’s efforts and scale are part of a major bid to reduce spending in the federal government of Mr Trump and his allies.
The reality of their claims about the agency is examined.
What was said
“In some cases, USAID, 10, 12, 13 percent, maybe, the money was actually reaching the recipient, and the rest were going to the overhead and bureaucracy.”
– Secretary Foreign Marco Rubio, I A news conference on Tuesday
It is misleading. Mr. Rubio was probably referring to A report from USAID from January Explaining that about $ 2.1 billion, or 12.1 % of its fund, went directly to local partners. But that does not mean that 80 to 90 percent of funding was spent on “overhead and bureaucracy”. In fact, most of the agency’s financing is done by other recipients, such as US companies and charities, as well as by public international organizations.
For years, USAID has tried to transfer more resources with local partners and engage in them more, but the agency combined with irrational partners to perform the most part of their aid programs. Keeps working. For example, Catholic Relief Services is a non -local partner that has been received Finance of hundreds of millions of dollars From the Agency for Charity Work. With Mr. Rubio’s logic, such work will be considered “overhead”.
According to 2024 Analysis of Congress Research ServiceFrom fiscal year 2013 to fiscal year 2022, almost two -thirds of USAID financing went into project -based aid, which in partnership with public international organizations and Red Cross’s International Committee, such as the World Food Program, And the partnership was 1.9 % and 1.9 % in the partnership. In the budget of foreign governments. About 7.7 % spent on administrative costs.
What was said
“And I will just call the Democrats a strong message that is there who are there who is there to excuse to be angry about the long list of nasty pin there that this administration like Million 2 million for sexual changes in Guatemala, Like Federal Trash and Funding, Million to Fund Tourism Million 6 million in Egypt, Million at a new sesame street show in Iraq, 20 million, Million to counter unknown information in Kazakhstan.
– Caroline Levit, Press Secretary of the White House, AT A News Conference on Wednesday
“Because if you look at the waste and abuse through USAID for the past several years, these are some of the crazy priorities on which the organization is spending money on it: ahead of the DEI at Serbia’s workplace. Million to increase 1.5 million, for a production, 000 70,000 from DI musical in Ireland, for transgender opera in Columbia, 000 47,000, for transgender comedy book in Peru, 000 32,000.
– In Ms. Levit To the remarks reporters on Tuesday
This is exaggeration. Details about Ms. Levit’s awards were largely wrong for five of these eight examples.
They were correct that USAID was awarded one SAME to 20 million grant sesame seeds The television show for young children is called “Samsum Iraq”. A million 4.5 million grants In Kazakhstan “Information and Accountability in place of information and creating social flexibility”; And A million 1.5 million granT advance diversity, equality and participation in Serbia.
But he left the context in his detail about five other grants or misunderstood the key details.
A Million 2 million grants A group of Guatemala, ASOCIACIóN Lambda “was awarded” gender certification to health care, advocate for better quality and access to services, and providing opportunities for economic empowerment. Gender certification An umbrella term that includes surgery as well as hormone therapy, consulting, hair removal and speech therapy. It is unclear how many of the Million 2 million, if any, especially the funds are funded by surgical intervention. Includes the work of this group Providing technical support, education and training LGBTQ to people.
Million 6 million award Under the Trump administration in Egypt, a bilateral aid agreement signed in 2019 was cited, which did not mention tourism. Instead, the agreement sought to “enhance educational opportunities and strengthen the livelihood of people in Northern Sinai” and “access to transportation to rural communities and provide access to economic programming for families. “”
And the Department of State, not USAID, provides financing the last three projects that Ms. Levit referred to: About 000 70,000 Both for musical performances at the residence of the United States ambassador in Dublin American and Irish singer And 000 32,000 “Feature LGBT Q+ Hero to tackle social and mental health issues in Peru to make a hilarious book.” Stage through an American composer for Opera in Columbia, 000 22,000 000 47,000 The out was in the Nanfidal Funding.
What was said
“They have said, you know, USAID costs I mean, see, see – this is the thing that was revealed, three just instant examples, I mean you tell me what it is irrational Yes, we are not even aware of the money that came out, to increase the atheist in Nepal. No way in Colombia, a drag show in Ecuador. “
– Speaker Mike Johnson, At a news conference on Wednesday
It is misleading. Mr Johnson’s comments could give the impression that it was USAID’s actions, but the three examples he cited was the State Department award.
In 2021, the Department of State Tips for any award requested For projects supporting religious freedom in two to three countries in South or Central Asia, the Middle East or North Africa, 000 500,000. Its purpose was to “have to enjoy religious freedom, including freedom to disagree with religious beliefs and not to practice or practice any religion” and “atheist, humanitarian, non -practical and Communities against discrimination, harassment and abuse. “
The award was the subject of a long investigation by the Republican in the Foreign Affairs Committee. Documents obtained by legislators suggest that the award was a group of receipts called Humanist International, which He said the fund would use “Two sub -grants to member organizations in Sri Lanka and Nepal.” The Republicans argued that the group and its member organization in Nepal, Nepal, promoted atheism, while the Foreign Department maintained that these groups had protected the right to believe and not believe and both. “A lot of lives survived.
The Department of State came out in Colombia, 000 47,000 opera, also financed and gave 25,000 20,600 For a film festival in Ecuador, unprofitable. Fox News Reported In 2022 that Grant said that Festival It will include 12 drag shows, though currently the drag shows are not mentioned in the language specifically.
Regardless, these were not USAd grants.
