Marco Rubio: 83% of USAID Programs Canceled

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the cancellation of 83% of the programs directly funded and administered by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on Monday. 

The Details: The decision came after a six-week review of the programs, which Rubio described as antithetical to the core interests of the United States. The cancellation included 5,200 USAID contracts. The remaining 18% of the programs, approximately 1,000, will be administered under the State Department. Track the latest federal cuts and firings on our live blog.

How The Media Covered It: Breitbart (Right bias) highlighted the questionable expenditures of the programs, citing examples such as the promotion of gender transition procedures in Guatemala and the creation of work opportunities for young LGBTQ people in Serbia. The outlet also underscored USAID's failure to curb drug cartels in Mexico despite the infusion of $3 billion US tax dollars since 2008. The Associated Press (Left), in contrast, emphasized the lack of transparency and noted vital USAID services that were cut, adding, “The rapid pace, and the steps skipped in ending contracts, left USAID supporters challenging whether any actual program-by-program reviews had taken place. Aid groups say even some life-saving programs that Rubio and others had promised to spare got the termination notices.” The Kyiv Independent (Center) noted the potential impact on various Ukrainian organizations and projects. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, USAID has offered $2.6 billion in humanitarian aid, $5 billion in development assistance, and more than $30 billion in direct budget support to Kyiv. An editor revised and published this summary with the help of AllSides AI.