U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) has introduced legislation to abolish the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). House Resolution No. 1029 (H.R. 1029) seeks to eliminate unconstitutional foreign-aid programs that drain billions of dollars from Americans each year. The bill has 10 cosponsors, including Representatives Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), and Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.). The bill declares:
SECTION 1. ABOLISHMENT OF THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, no Federal funds may be made available to carry out any of the functions, duties, or responsibilities assigned or delegated to the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development pursuant to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2 2151 et seq.) or any other provision of law.
(b) RESCISSION OF FUNDS.—The unobligated balance of each amount made available to the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development as of the day before the date of the enactment of this Act is rescinded. Any other assets or liabilities of the Agency as of such day shall be transferred to the Secretary of State.
Congress ignored its constitutional bounds by passing the Foreign Assistance Act in 1961, authorizing the creation of USAID. By abolishing USAID, Representative Steube’s bill seeks to end this federal overreach and help restore constitutional adherence.
As Representative Steube noted in a press release, USAID spending is corrupt, wasteful, and frequently misused by foreign governments and bad actors:
For too long, USAID has funneled billions of American tax dollars into bloated, inefficient foreign aid programs that are riddled with waste, corruption and ideological bias …. Instead of benefitting American taxpayers who fund these programs, USAID’s initiatives often push progressive social agendas that are out of touch with the values and interests of our nation. Worse yet, these dollars frequently end up in the hands of bad actors who do not have America’s interests in mind and misuse the funds for purposes far removed from their original intent.
USAID’s foreign aid opposes U.S. interests by funneling billions of taxpayer dollars into programs plagued by waste, corruption, and ideological bias — frequently supporting agendas contrary to American values.
H.R. 1029 addresses the unconstitutionality of USAID’s foreign spending. Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution limits federal spending to specifically enumerated purposes such as defense, post office — not foreign countries. Congress does not have the authority to appropriate taxpayer funds to foreign nations or entities.
This legislation dismantles an unaccountable Deep State bureaucracies that prioritizes socialist and globalist agendas over the U.S. Constitution. By abolishing USAID, we can ensure that taxpayer funds are used Constitutionally, not to further the interests of globalist bureaucrats or foreign elites.
