Trump to Gut USAID; Deep State Strikes Back as Unions Sue

Holy crap: Rubio has calculated how many USAID "workers" are really needed:

Kyle Becker @kylenabecker

JUST IN: Secretary of State @MarcoRubio has just informed USAID workers that he only needs 294 of them.

There are 14,000 people who work at the agency.

The DOGE Effect.

@EricLDaugh

JUST IN: The Environmental Protection Agency just put 168 staffers on administrative leave - POLITICO

Vinay Prasad MD MPH @VPrasadMDMPH If you try to cut government with a scalpel, people inside the organization divert the funds and subvert the cuts, rename projects, or wait you out. (A lot of the chaos now is malicious compliance) Sometimes the only solution is to use a sword.

MXMNews:

The Trump administration has unveiled a plan to slash the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), cutting its global workforce from thousands to fewer than 300 employees. The move is part of a broader effort to restructure foreign aid, drawing legal challenges from federal workers' groups who argue the president lacks authority to dismantle a congressionally established agency. Key Details:

The plan, presented Thursday, would leave only 300 USAID staffers from a current workforce of 8,000 direct hires and contractors, with thousands of locally hired international staff also facing uncertainty. The administration has not confirmed whether the cuts will be permanent.

Nearly all USAID workers posted abroad were given 30 days to return to the U.S., with government-covered relocation costs. Those staying longer without a hardship waiver may have to fund their own expenses.

Federal workers' associations have sued the administration, arguing that shuttering USAID requires congressional approval. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the move, saying U.S. aid will continue but will be refocused on national interests.

The Swamp counter-attacks Trump with, get this, more lawfare:

Unions representing federal employees are taking legal action against the Trump administration's efforts to shut down USAID, claiming the move threatens thousands of jobs and disrupts global humanitarian aid. The lawsuit, filed Thursday, names President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and other officials as defendants.

The administration, through DOGE, implemented a swift reduction in USAID's operations over the weekend, locking employees out of internal systems and putting thousands on administrative leave. Critics of USAID's shutdown argue the move jeopardizes national security and weakens U.S. influence abroad. However, Trump's allies contend that USAID has long been a bloated and inefficient agency, spending billions in taxpayer dollars with little accountability.

In their lawsuit, the unions claim the shutdown has created a "global humanitarian crisis" and are seeking an injunction to stop further actions. They are pushing for the reopening of USAID offices, the resumption of grants and contracts, and a reversal of furlough notices.

I've been worried about inflation -- how is Trump going to cut it? We don't want the fed keeping interest rates high forever. That throttles the economy.

But chopping down government spending, which pays people out in freshly-printed Fantasy Dollars, will be a big help.

Elon Musk pointed out that 90% of USAID's payments go to recipients in the, get this, Washington DC area. It's just a funding mechanism for the left. It's just guaranteed employment for leftwing operatives when they're out of government.

Yes, I'm sure a fraction of that money is eventually paid out to people in the developing world -- after it's laundered through a dozen leftwing NGOs and all the parasites of the left have taken their share.

posted by Ace at 12:00 PM

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