RESULTS tells Congress: Act now to reverse deadly catastrophe on foreign aid
RESULTS strongly condemns the Trump Administration’s catastrophic action to abruptly terminate over 90 percent of USAID work. This action ends the majority of development assistance. Congress must act to save lives and U.S. standing in the world.
Washington, D.C., February 27, 2025—Yesterday, the Trump Administration terminated more than 90 percent of U.S. development aid. This includes all malaria and tuberculosis programs. It cancels countless HIV and maternal and child health and nutrition programs. These are among the highest impact efforts the U.S. has ever supported. A scant 10 percent of USAID programs remain in name only. It is unclear how they can operate given drastic USAID staff reductions and procedural disarray.
“This is nothing short of a humanitarian, economic, and diplomatic catastrophe,” said RESULTS Executive Director, Joanne Carter. “A February 25 court order required the Administration to turn foreign aid funding back on. Instead, the Administration obliterated it. This action will likely cause more deaths than all the world’s violent conflicts combined. There will be massive suffering. We’ll see rapid deterioration of global health security and global partnership.”
For decades, foreign aid has had bipartisan support in Congress. Both parties have led on keystone programs that address crises like HIV/AIDS, malaria, TB, and child mortality. Congress already appropriated the funds for the terminated work. Ending these grants and contracts en masse now directly contravenes congressional authority. It also flies in the face of human decency.
“The suffering and deaths already caused by the foreign aid freeze are horrendous and well documented. It will now be much worse as the State Department has terminated huge numbers of life-saving programs. Every day, babies are born in need of basic resuscitation services like suction. Now, these newborns die needlessly because of White House’s unilateral action. People with life-threatening infectious diseases are being denied treatment. We will see people with TB and HIV going untreated and dying. Dangerous drug-resistant TB will spread as the pathogen mutates unchecked. We will see medicines and diagnostics and prevention more costly or unavailable. We squander massive and hard-won progress against malaria, which kills young children and pregnant women. Food is rotting in warehouses minutes away from where children starve,” said Carter.
“The time for hesitation from Congress is definitively over,” continued Carter. “RESULTS has always supported efforts to responsibly reform and strengthen U.S. development work. But this is reckless ruination. There are no clear criteria or timelines to protect the lives at stake or progress made. Congress holds the authority and responsibility to intervene. Congress must speak out and act now. Millions of lives and livelihoods depend on immediate action.”
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Media Contact:
Laura Labarre, RESULTS
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About RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund:
RESULTS supports a movement of passionate, committed everyday people using their voices to influence political decisions that will bring an end to poverty. Volunteers and staff multiply their impact through the enormous power of advocacy.
Our movement of volunteers is backed by a staff of researchers, policy analysts, and legislative and media experts. Our shared goal is the end of poverty. We have affiliates and partners across five continents, and a network of volunteers in all 50 states and worldwide. We’re a non-partisan advocacy group comprised of RESULTS Educational Fund, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, and RESULTS, a nonprofit 501(c)4 grassroots lobbying organization.