Committee member says USAID cuts hampered Ebola response in East Africa

A committee member warned that reductions in U.S. foreign-aid capacity have weakened preparedness and hindered response to a deadly Ebola outbreak in East Africa, saying the United States had been providing on-the-ground humanitarian assistance "until President Trump pulled the plug on USAID."

The committee member said the pullback reduced screening and prevention efforts at a moment when an outbreak in Uganda was underway and argued that "anyone saying that the U.S. pullout did not have an impact here has no idea what they're talking about." The speaker also said U.S. officials would not permit passenger screening at airports during the period of dismantling.

The speaker reported that "an international relief group" has blamed funding cuts for worsening the outbreak, and said that preparedness often weakens quietly and then fails visibly — in this case, the speaker said, it was allowed to weaken conspicuously. The transcript uses the phrase "intermodal prevention" to describe one program that was briefly canceled; the term is not defined in the record.

The committee member urged restoring U.S. support "to get back on the ground" so American resources can help end the outbreak before it worsens, warning that failure to act could pose risks beyond the region. The transcript records no formal motion, vote, or next-step assignment on the record.