A coalition of Republican senators is raising concerns about President Donald Trump’s decision to freeze foreign aid grants and dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). They have taken their objections directly to Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The bipartisan group—including Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Susan Collins (R-ME)—joined their Democratic colleagues in sending letters to Rubio’s State Department, sharply criticizing the move, according to a Washington Post report.
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In the letters, the senators argue that the State Department is violating the law by bypassing congressional oversight while implementing the foreign aid freeze. They have requested that Rubio appear before the Senate committee to explain and justify the policy shift at a Capitol Hill hearing next month.
While acknowledging Rubio’s authority to review federal programs and reduce government waste, the senators stressed their concern that Congress was not consulted in the rollback of USAID and other foreign aid programs, a step they argue is legally required.
“They mark some of the first signs of meaningful — if private — GOP pushback to the Trump administration’s striking encroachment on Congress’s power of the purse and betray some frustration with Rubio’s lack of responsiveness to his former colleagues,” the Washington Post noted.
The letters, sent earlier this month by members of the Senate Appropriations Committee—chaired by Collins—also asserted that the State Department acted “in contravention of law” by withholding funds designated for programs under a separate congressional funding authority. Additionally, the senators criticized the waiver process, citing its lack of transparency and clarity, according to the Post report.
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“We are alarmed by reports that food is at risk of rotting in ports, lifesaving medicines are stuck in warehouses, and counterterrorism programs are being suspended, including in Somalia,” the senators wrote. “We suspect personnel actions at USAID and your Department … combined with unclear guidance to Department and USAID contracting officers, have created confusion that prevents funds from being quickly disbursed for vital programs that have received waivers.”
As pressure mounts from both sides of the aisle, Rubio faces increasing scrutiny over his role in implementing the administration’s foreign aid policy. The upcoming hearing will likely serve as a key test of his approach to managing international assistance and congressional oversight.
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