WASHINGTON – House Democrats say that a pause in foreign assistance is detrimental while House Republicans expressed their support for a restructuring of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
“Instead of putting blame everywhere, we [should] focus on how we get these things [humanitarian assistance programs] back,” said Former Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.), a witness at Thursday’s hearing held by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
While lawmakers from both sides of the aisle agreed that the American people have been “betrayed,” Democrats on the committee said that any pause in funding could have devastating effects, casting blame on President Donald Trump, while Republicans backed the president’s actions, saying the Biden administration made foreign assistance political.
Created in 1961, USAID assists countries recovering from disaster, helps fight poverty and aids in democratic reform. Last month, the Trump administration installed a near-total freeze on the agency’s funding.
Since then, thousands of employees have been placed on leave while the department investigates how money was being spent, an action criticized by Democrats but praised by Republicans on the committee.
“I don’t understand the objection to a deep dive into how we spend our money,” said Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.).
President Trump has said that the pause on foreign aid is to ensure that all foreign assistance supports American values.
“USAID is not a faucet. You cannot pause it and turn it on,” said Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D- Fla.).
In 2023, the U.S. spent $68 billion on foreign assistance, which was down from about $76 billion in 2022. Of that, roughly $36 billion went to USAID. The funds were used for humanitarian work, education and governance, and promoting democracy.
“I think that our aid program makes us stronger,” said Andrew Natsios, who served as the administrator of USAID from 2001-2006.
He recognized that USAID is not perfect but described how it is in America’s best interest to dispense foreign aid because of the ways it can reach beyond violence.
“[The Taliban] can’t deal with [US]AID. They can deal with the military, they just shoot each other. But they can’t deal with health clinics,” Natsios said.
Fmr. Rep. Yoho agreed, saying that the U.S. “must quickly bring back” foreign assistance programs that are “good” while eliminating the ones that are “bad.”
Max Primorac, a senior research fellow at the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom, a part of the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Washington, told the committee that USAID’s humanitarian and leadership systems are “broken.”
Primorac told the committee that the decision to close the agency is reflective of Americans’ loss of trust in it over the past four years. He echoed this sentiment in a chapter he wrote in Project 2025, a “playbook” for the presidential administration.
“The Biden administration has deformed the agency by treating it as a global platform to pursue overseas a divisive political and cultural agenda,” Primorac wrote.
He also wrote that during the Biden administration, USAID promoted abortion, climate extremism and interventions against perceived racism and gender radicalism. Primorac outlined a plan to reduce “wasteful” spending by USAID and streamline the use of foreign aid so that it reflects conservative American values.
Chairman of the committee Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), and multiple other Republican representatives, mentioned a drag show in Venezuela that they alleged was funded by taxpayer dollars and that he said went against American values. Natsios, a Republican, said the program was funded by the State Department, not USAID.
The pause in all foreign assistance has had a negative impact on people around the world and in the U.S., Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.) said.
Natsios told the committee that they are “focused on the wrong things.”
One person was in line for more than 2 hours before getting into the hearing room. She sported a shirt that read “USAID Makes US Great.” She said that USAID makes America safer and that she wants lawmakers to understand that.
“There’s been an unconstitutional takeover of the USAID, which serves American interests overseas that save lives and promote prosperity at home,” she said.
All three witnesses said that the U.S. needs to take action against China through overseas investment. “It’s gonna drive people closer to China and Russia,” Yoho said.
Natsios said that when people think of the U.S. they think of USAID. Despite this, democracy programs have been paused since last month.
“I hope that’s not a deliberate decision,” Natsios said. “I hope I’m misreading it.”