WASHINGTON

 US Rep. Gregory Meeks expressed deep concern Wednesday over the "illegal" dismantling of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the transfer of its duties and responsibilities to the State Department.

In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Meeks demanded answers regarding the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID.

"The wholly insufficient retention of USAID personnel both in Washington, D.C., and at posts globally caused by your haphazard staffing plans poses tremendous risk to both the Department and the United States.

"Without sufficient personnel to provide oversight and enforce controls, foreign assistance programs are left vulnerable to mismanagement, waste, and increased liability," Meeks wrote.

He outlined his concerns that the agency's staffing cuts and personnel decisions fail to retain the talent and technical capacity needed to meet national security priorities and waste taxpayer dollars.

The lawmaker demanded Rubio to respond to the questions by July 25.

Earlier this month, Rubio announced that USAID would officially cease implementing foreign assistance programs on July 1, with the programs being transferred to the State Department.

The move follows sweeping efforts to dismantle USAID during President Donald Trump's second term in office, including canceling most contracts, terminating thousands of positions and placing nearly all of the agency’s global workforce on administrative leave.

USAID, established in 1961, managed more than $40 billion in fiscal year 2023.​​​​​​​