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Rubio Defends State Department Reorganization, Says USAID Will Be Folded Under Embassy Control
Summary
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the House Foreign Affairs Committee he has folded USAID functions into the State Department to align foreign assistance with U.S. national interests and drive decision-making to regional bureaus and embassies.
Secretary Marco Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, told the House Committee on Foreign Affairs that his reorganization of the State Department — including folding some USAID functions under State — will make U.S. diplomacy more focused and efficient.
"Every dollar we spend and every action we take has to have measurable outcomes that deliver for the American people," Rubio said, arguing that foreign assistance should make the country "safer, stronger, or more prosperous." He told members the reorganization returns authority to regional bureaus and embassies so local missions can set priorities.
The hearing featured repeated questions from members about whether Rubio had consulted Congress before making organizational changes. Representative Gregory Meeks, the ranking member, said he was concerned the administration acted without adequate congressional consultation. Rubio replied that the reorganization preserved statutory offices and that a statutory reauthorization would make structural changes enduring.
Rubio said USAID contracts had been cancelled where programs did not serve "the national interest" and that folding assistance under ambassadors would reduce contradictory programs in-country. "You will find that maybe some of you, when you travel, an ambassador will tell you what USAID was pushing and what they are pushing in the country are not just different, they're in contradiction," Rubio said.
Several members sought commitments on timing and consultation. Rubio said he expected to deliver a final congressional notification after an input period and expressed a desire to work with committee members on statutory reauthorization.
The committee did not take a formal vote; discussion centered on oversight, statutory consultation, and the administration's stated objective to align aid with strategic priorities.
Ending: Members pressed Rubio to provide more written detail to the committee and to pursue a formal reauthorization if he wants the organizational changes to be permanent.
