Goodbye USAID! Trump Administration May End Agency By July 1, State Department Likely To Assume Control

Washington: The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is on the brink of dissolution, with plans to merge with the State Department, as announced by the Trump administration. According to reports, the USAID is undergoing major restructuring, with plans to merge with the State Department. If reports are to believed, around 900 USAID employees will be terminated on either July 1 or September 2. The State Department will reportedly assume many of USAID's functions and ongoing programming, effectively ending USAID's independent operation. Moreover, those terminated on September 2 will oversee the agency's wind-down process.

Reports further state that some employees have already started receiving termination letters, which include information about the State Department's coordination team handling the global recall of USAID employees. The latest development is claimed to be part of the Trump administration's efforts to streamline foreign aid and development work abroad. The implications of this merger on global humanitarian efforts and the US's role in international development remain uncertain. However, the move is expected to impact the agency's operations and employees. 

Notably, USAID has been a key player in global humanitarian and development work, employing over 10,000 personnel at its peak. However, the Trump administration has been critical of the agency's efficiency and effectiveness, labelling it as wasteful and advancing a liberal agenda. In January, Trump issued an executive order directing a freeze of foreign assistance funding and a review of all US aid and development work abroad.

"The State Department will seek to retire USAID's independent operation, consistent with applicable law," said Jeremy Lewin, a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer who joined USAID last week. He said, "The remaining USAID personnel will then supervise the responsible decommissioning of USAID assets and the wind-down of the agency's independent operations."

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Executive Order And Union Bargaining Rights

In a separate move, Trump signed an executive order directing several agencies, including USAID, to suspend union bargaining rights. Trump's decision classifies USAID as a national security agency, giving the administration greater control over its operations.

The merger and potential termination of USAID employees have raised concerns about the future of US aid and development work abroad. Several argued that the agency's dissolution will negatively impact global humanitarian efforts and undermine the US's role in international development.

As the Trump administration moves forward with its plans to dissolve USAID, the fate of the agency's programs and employees remains uncertain. The State Department's assumption of USAID's functions will likely have huge implications for global aid and development work.