A decision to sideline nearly 60 senior career leaders at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was temporarily rescinded by a senior career civil servant, only to be placed on administrative leave shortly after. The decision to place the employees on leave was based on a near total freeze on U.S. foreign aid following President Trump’s executive order. Hundreds of contractors were fired, and more furloughs are expected in the coming days, despite Secretary of State Marco Rubio issuing an expanded waiver to exempt life-saving assistance from the freeze. The situation has caused concern among experts who warn of the long-lasting damage to the U.S. foreign aid architecture, which has been developed over 50 years. The decision to remove the senior career leaders and implement cuts to the USAID workforce has raised questions about the impact on the agency’s ability to effectively carry out its mission of providing aid and development assistance. Former USAID official Jeremy Konyndyk emphasized the intricate relationship between the U.S. government and its nonprofit and contractor partners in implementing foreign aid policy, warning that prolonged cuts could significantly disrupt the aid landscape. Ultimately, the situation highlights the challenges facing USAID and the potential consequences of the freeze on foreign aid.
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USAID Labor Director Forced Out for Resisting Removal of Career Leadership
