(NewsNation) — Five former administrators of the United States Agency for International Development are urging the White House and Congress to preserve the embattled agency that administers foreign aid.
The communication Wednesday from J. Brian Atwood, Peter McPherson, Andrew Natsios, Samantha Power and Gayle Smith comes as the Trump administration has disrupted operations at USAID with an eye toward spending cuts. USAID administers more than $40 billion annually.
“While we don’t agree on all issues, we wholeheartedly agree that USAID and America’s foreign assistance programs are vital to our interests, that the career men and women of USAID have served each of us well, and that it is the duty of the Administration and Congress to swiftly protect the Agency’s statutory role,” the group of former of administrators wrote.
They said weakening USAID would be “to the benefit of neither political party and the detriment of all Americans.”
The Trump administration has questioned some of the programs funded by USAID, including those that support liberal causes, and has moved to shuffle the agency under the State Department. Democrats have rallied to support the agency and argue it is illegal for the president to unilaterally gut it.