Dozens of senior staff in USAID, a US international development agency, have been on management leave until further notifications, and hundreds of contractors have hired or fired employment, and multiple sources told CBS News. This was followed by the Secretary of State Marco Rubio Order last Friday immediately stopped all foreign aid support that the United States provided funds.
The CBS News spoke to the current and former USAID staff and contractors who were recognized for the public to speak openly.
The email that was acquired by CBS News and sent to USAID staff on Monday from the USAID agent, Jason Gray, said “many of the USAID employees” seem to have several actions in the USAID. Until some actions, he was designed to avoid the administrative order of the President on a full wage and benefits.
Approximately 60 senior staff in the USAID have been stopped -The assistant managers and the sub -assistant managers have left the agency without a clear leadership, including leading most of the stations. Most of the people on vacation were career civil servants and foreign service officers. In addition, the General Advancement Bureau, which is responsible for interpreting the presidential order for implementation, also included a USAID lawyer.
One sources told CBS News that the affected individuals were told in USAID that they would “go home and do not communicate with anyone.” The two sources told CBS News that some of the individuals in question were physically escorted from the building.
CBS News learned that hundreds of USAID contractors have been abolished or fired, according to six information -friendly sources. Some have been fired immediately without retirement allowance, and some have been notified that the benefits will expire in just three days at the end of January, while others have been told that benefits will be valid until the end of February.
Rubio’s order is part of the government’s efforts to meet President Trump’s promises to reduce the size of the federal labor. I’m looking for a place to cut What is considered a wasted government expenditure. Trump has long believed that other countries have not contributed to foreign aid, and the United States is on the burden. However, critics can impair the status of the United States in the world, and may create an opening for other enemies who are trying to demonstrate the influence of China and overseas. I say.
In response to Rubio’s duties to suspend the federal foreign aid, a suspension work order was issued on Monday and Tuesday to companies that signed a contract with the USAID and the State Department.
The end letter sent to the two contractors acquired by CBS News said, “This letter will end on January 28, 2025 for the reof of the contract. Unfortunately, I received a stop order (a federal contract owner), but there is no job to do.
“I hope this situation is temporary and I can return to my position.” However, the e -mail account of employees with the USAID and the contract company has been closed, and the terminal letter was sent to personal email.
According to some sources, the USAID staff said that after Rubio sent an order, he scrambled to submit an application for a program exemption.
“They later, they physically escorted USAID leadership. The waiver process was a joke,” said the information.
“The USAID is absolutely broken,” said another sources of the agency. “This is surgical to stop the program. Life is in danger here. We are at risk of life.”
“The staff was given a template for exemption,” said Tammy Blues, the Ministry of State’s spokesman.
In the second half of Tuesday, Rubio issued an exemption to suspend his own foreign assistance. Lubio is the second memo provided to CBS by senior managers, and the abandonment of the rights applied to “humanitarian support that saves life” is “medicine, medical services, food, evacuation centers, and self -sufficiency” to save lives. He said that he defined it as a support for self -sufficiency. As a supply and rational management expenses required to provide such support. ”
The memo also stated, “The implementation of the humanitarian support program that saves existing lives will need to continue or resume if they are stopped.”
New exemptions are not applied to “abortion, family planning conference, gender or delupletogy program, transgender surgery, or other non -life savings support.”
The Ministry of State has applied for an exemption to return the U.S. Foreign Aid Programs to be automatically exempted from Rubio’s new exemption, or to return all programs worldwide to receive US funds. We have not yet provided clarification of whether or not we need.
It is not easy to see how this new exemption affects people who have already ended employment.
In a copy of Rubio’s first order acquired by CBS NEWS last Friday, he immediately issues an “stop work” order to an existing foreign support award to all posts of the United States and consulate. I talked to.
Rubio also stated that the pause “exception” approved by the Foreign Ministry of State Director of the State Department has been exempted. CBS News has learned that Pete Marocco, a former deputy director of the African issue of Pentagon, is currently serving as advanced guidance within the Ministry of State’s Foreign Support Bureau (known as F). State Department and USAID.
“I’m very devastated (as AS) for what happened,” said the person who influenced the USAID sources. “We enjoyed the work we went to and how it contributed to the help of people around the world. What happened was not fair at all. Respecting this change,” better profits. I was looking forward to building a relationship with the new administration. “
The current USAID contractors have become worse on frequent work trips and have a deep concern that they have a life -threatening health condition by suddenly finding themselves without medical insurance after the end of Friday. I did.
“Our contractor may have paid to us for two weeks or at least next week.” It feels apocaly. All emails felt like a threat that began last week, and then followed. ” The line added in an office on Monday and Tuesday, “People were confused and bored … people are terrible. The direct recruiters feel guilty of intense survivors and do not know what to do.”
Many USAID contractors ended last week without taking vacations or retirement as a result of the targeting of the administrative order. Diversity, fairness, and inclusion programs。 This includes an individual who was not a DEI advisor or had a major duties related to DEI, but contributed to a collective workplace effort focusing on the comprehensive and accessibility in the Biden administration. I did it.
The end letter sent to an employee last Thursday evening said, “Effectively, USAID no longer requires the current service in the contract. As of today, USAID funds in this position. Is over.
In several sources, CBS News told the Usington DC -based USAID Annex Office Buildings that a photo of institutional programs and beneficiaries was stripped of the wall from the wall. The deletion of the photos said, a source of information that was “not a normal protocol” between administrators.
“They are physically dismantling things in the building,” said the second sources. “They are erasing our existence,” said the third.
CBS News
CBS News
Contractors of USAID global health bureau (category of HIV/AIDS treatment, maternal and child health, mothers’ health, malaria, tuberculosis, and other infections) are those who have been notified of the dismissal on Tuesday I was alone. According to the two sources, about 450 technical experts Global Health Bureau were fired. These contractors account for about 50 % of USAID Global Health Staff, and only about 450 direct recruiters are still hired.
The President’s urgent plan for AIDS rescue or the management of George W. Bush in 2003 is one of the prominent government programs. Stopped Rubio may potentially interrupt the provision of antiviral drugs (ARV) for millions of HIVs and AIDS patients around the world since issuing orders. According to the State Department, Pepfar has saved 26 million lives since it began.
Until the 90 -day review results are obtained, you can get back funding, but the parliamentary support for Pepfer was a violation because the group that was salvated earlier this month has abandoned. Of our law. Reuters reported that four Mozambique nurse had performed 21 since 2021. The revelation reported that it could be part of the future of the State Ministry of State.
Now that 20.6 million people are taking drugs that save their lives for Pep fur, the information source told CBS News, so the freezing of US assistance funds is “especially for women and children. Hundreds of thousands of people can die.
“This is a crime against humanity,” said the sources.
“This purge is unprecedented, it is a threat to our national security, it seems to reduce American safety and avoid parliamentary authority,” he said. The employee said.
“For me, this is an hostile acquisition of our democracy,” said another sources influenced by Freeze. “USAID is just the first victim, but more people are approaching.
Margaret Brennan has contributed to this report.
