Elon Musk crackdown on USAID cheered by House GOP hardliners

House conservatives are celebrating the apparent downsizing of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the leadership of President Donald Trump and Elon Musk. According to Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., USAID is a corrupt organization run by unelected bureaucrats that funnels taxpayer dollars to Democratic pet projects overseas. With the national debt nearing $37 trillion and an annual deficit of $1.8 trillion, conservatives argue that the country cannot afford to continue providing aid to nations that are hostile towards America.

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., believes that shutting down USAID will not only reduce the national debt and relieve taxpayers, but also push aid-dependent countries towards achieving true self-reliance. He criticizes the dependency cycle perpetuated by USAID under the guise of development. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla., has expressed support for integrating USAID under the Department of State due to its perceived failures.

Conservatives have been pushing for steep cuts to the multibillion-dollar budget of USAID, with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Rep. Eli Crane, R-Ariz., advocating for its elimination. Despite their efforts, only a fraction of Republicans supported cutting the agency’s budget in the past. Recently, fifty senior USAID staff members were placed on administrative leave, with restrictions on communication and control over computer systems imposed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

Democrats have criticized the crackdown on USAID, particularly questioning the authority of Elon Musk, an unelected ally and donor to Trump, to make decisions regarding the agency. Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, and Rep. Diane DeGette, D-Colo., have raised concerns about the lack of accountability and authoritarianism in Musk’s actions.

In the midst of this controversy, House conservatives are rallying behind the efforts to scale down USAID and redirect foreign aid towards more beneficial causes. The debate over the future of USAID continues to unfold as the agency faces scrutiny from both sides of the political spectrum.