U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio just axed a whopping 83% of USAID programs.
That’s over 5,200 contracts—gone.
Why? He says too much of it is wasteful spending that doesn’t actually help America.
“For too long, we’ve spent billions of dollars on programs that don’t serve our national interests,” Rubio said. “It’s time to bring accountability and common sense back to foreign aid.”
If you’ve ever looked at your paycheck and wondered where all those tax dollars are going, here’s one answer—funding social media training in foreign countries, paying for gender studies programs overseas, and bankrolling climate change activism abroad.
That’s just a taste of what USAID has been spending money on.
Rubio says enough is enough.
His cuts are meant to bring foreign aid back to basics—helping in real emergencies, supporting key allies, and keeping America safe.
Everything else? It’s getting the boot.
The programs that are still funded focus on things like disaster relief, military aid, and anti-terrorism efforts. But here’s what’s getting the axe:
- Grants for foreign media outlets to promote “social change”
- Climate change awareness campaigns in other countries
- Gender and diversity training programs overseas
- Healthcare and nutrition projects with little oversight
Rubio argues that while these sound good on paper, they’re often poorly managed and don’t give American taxpayers a good return on investment.
Concerns have been voiced, with some worrying that cutting health programs could lead to more disease outbreaks and malnutrition in poor countries.
Others say pulling back on foreign aid will let China swoop in and expand its influence instead.
But Rubio and his supporters aren’t buying it.
Rubio and his allies say the U.S. can’t just throw money at problems and hope they go away. They argue that foreign aid should be about smart spending, not just feel-good projects with no accountability.
“America’s job isn’t to be the world’s ATM,” Rubio said. “We should help where we can, but not at the expense of our own economy, security, and taxpayers.”
And he’s got plenty of backers who agree.
Many conservatives have been calling for this kind of reform for years, arguing that money wasted on inefficient programs would be better spent securing the border, rebuilding our military, or helping struggling American communities.
These cuts are going to be a hot topic in Washington.
Expect Democrats to push for bringing some of the funding back, while Republicans and fiscal conservatives cheer on the move.
So, will these cuts actually lead to a stronger, more effective foreign aid strategy, or will they create new problems down the line? America waits to see.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
