WASHINGTON 

All Democratic members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee raised concerns Monday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding recent actions by the State Department, including the suspension of foreign aid and the US Refugee Assistance Program.

In a letter signed by 22 Democratic lawmakers, including Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks and senior Congress Member Brad Sherman, they warned that these measures “gut core State Department programs and responsibilities,” undermine US global credibility, and put American diplomats and partners at risk.

The letter, addressed to Rubio, also criticized the administration’s elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and the introduction of what they described as an “unlawful anti-DEI prerequisite” for receiving US foreign assistance.

“These actions undermine America’s credibility and put U.S. diplomats, American implementers, and vulnerable people around the world at risk. They belie a lack of understanding of the value of diplomacy, the Department of State as an institution, and the work that thousands of dedicated public servants do every day to make the American people safer and more prosperous,” the lawmakers stated.

The lawmakers also expressed concern over the reports that the Trump administration asked over a dozen senior career diplomats to step down.

"We are deeply troubled by early steps the Trump administration has taken to sideline, remove, or reassign many apolitical, career foreign service and civil service professionals at the Department without cause," they wrote. "The potential gutting of institutional knowledge, credibility, and core competencies…will undermine your ability to serve effectively as Secretary."

While congratulating Rubio on his confirmation and expressing a willingness to collaborate, the lawmakers said the administration’s recent moves raise concerns about the future of US foreign policy.

"We hope you will act swiftly to stem any concern that the Department—and America’s position in the world—are being weakened as a result of the Administration’s decisions," they said.

According to multiple media reports, citing a leaked memo, the US State Department last week paused nearly all foreign aid programs for 90 days, with exceptions granted for military assistance to Israel and Egypt.

The freeze is part of President Donald Trump’s executive order earlier this week, which called for a 90-day review of foreign aid spending to assess its alignment with US foreign policy priorities.

While the memo outlines exceptions for Israel and Egypt, which annually receive $3.3 billion and $1.3 billion in foreign military financing, respectively, aid to other key US allies, including Ukraine, Jordan and Taiwan, is reportedly affected.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement that the agency is "initiating a review of all foreign assistance programs to ensure they are efficient and consistent with U.S. foreign policy under the America First agenda."

"The mandate from the American people was clear – we must refocus on American national interests. The Department and USAID take their role as stewards of taxpayer dollars very seriously," she added.