US secretary of state notifies Congress about 'potential reorganization' of USAID

WASHINGTON

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio notified Congress on Monday about the "potential reorganization" of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

President Donald Trump earlier in the day appointed Rubio as the acting director of USAID.

USAID "has long strayed from its original mission of responsibly advancing American interests abroad," the State Department said in a statement, adding "significant portions" of the agency’s funding are not aligned with the core national interests of the US.

Rubio "has also now notified Congress that a review of USAID’s foreign assistance activities is underway with an eye towards potential reorganization," it added.

A group of Democrats were blocked from entering USAID’s headquarters Monday as they protested efforts by the Trump administration to dismantle it.

The lawmakers, led by Sen. Chris Van Hollen, were denied entry by security officials at the building in Washington, DC.

On Saturday, USAID’s website went offline, and its official X and Instagram accounts were taken down.

The recent actions against USAID come after Trump issued an executive order last month halting all foreign aid for 90 days.