A Republican-led subcommittee is set to scrutinize U.S. foreign aid spending, questioning its alignment with national interests and efficiency.
At a Glance
- Republican subcommittee to hold hearing on USAID’s impact on American interests
- Hearing titled “America Last: How Foreign Aid Undermined U.S. Interests Around the World”
- Subcommittee Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene claims findings on USAID are alarming
- Hearing follows President Trump’s Executive Order to reevaluate U.S. foreign aid spending
- Witnesses include former USAID official and experts from conservative think tanks
Republican Subcommittee Takes Aim at Foreign Aid Spending
The Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE), chaired by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), is preparing to hold a hearing that promises to expose how foreign aid may have undermined U.S. interests around the world. The session, scheduled for Wednesday, February 26, 2025, aims to analyze the effectiveness and alignment of aid programs with national objectives.
The hearing, titled “America Last: How Foreign Aid Undermined U.S. Interests Around the World,” comes in the wake of significant reductions in the operations of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The cuts followed an executive order from former President Donald Trump to reevaluate U.S. foreign aid spending, highlighting a growing concern among conservatives about the allocation of taxpayer resources abroad.
I’m excited to chair my second @DOGECommittee hearing as we investigate how foreign aid was utilized to undermine American interests around the world.
You won’t want to miss this!! https://t.co/LENrpdYwwV
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) February 21, 2025
Allegations of Misaligned Spending
The Trump administration previously criticized USAID for funding initiatives that they believed did not align with U.S. interests. These included programs focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, electric vehicles, contraception, and LGBTQ+ issues. The subcommittee argues that such foreign aid has been used to support programs that may not reflect American values or policy goals.
“Foreign aid programs have a sordid record of weaponizing and politicizing taxpayer dollars in the name of foreign assistance to support questionable programs around the world that may not align with U.S. interests,” according to the subcommittee press release.
Expert Testimony and Proposed Reforms
The subcommittee has assembled a panel of witnesses to provide expert testimony on the matter. These include Max Primorac, a former USAID official; Gregg Roman, Executive Director of the Middle East Forum; Tyler O’Neil, Managing Editor of The Daily Signal; and a senior research fellow from The Heritage Foundation. Their insights are expected to enrich discussions aimed at reforming foreign aid protocols.
“What the DOGE team has uncovered with USAID is shocking, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said subcommittee Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. “Our DOGE subcommittee hearing will expose the agenda that you’ve been funding and offer solutions to prevent it from ever happening again.”
Greene’s statement suggests that the hearing will not only highlight problematic spending but also propose concrete measures to ensure that future foreign aid aligns more closely with U.S. national interests. This approach is in line with President Trump’s Executive Order “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid,” which aimed to prioritize national interests and increase transparency in foreign aid allocation.