Hours after his inauguration, President Trump signed an executive order “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid.” This new policy called for a 90-day pause in funding for foreign aid programs while the State Department conducted a review of the programs. Following this executive order, aid organizations began receiving stop-work orders, immediately impacting the delivery of humanitarian, development and refugee aid. Among these organizations are many faith-based nonprofits, including World Relief, Samaritan’s Purse, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, and International Justice Mission.  

The future of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which has long been America’s primary provider of global humanitarian aid since 1961, is now uncertain. Hundreds of contractors and employees within the agency have been terminated or put on unpaid leave, and thousands of employees stationed abroad have been recalled on short notice. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has issued waivers, in theory allowing for some emergency lifesaving aid to continue, but many aid organizations have not received the funds or approvals needed to resume their work.  

While we affirm the goal of eliminating wasteful spending throughout government, and we lament instances where taxpayer dollars have funded activities not aligned with our values, we also caution against hastily pursued measures that will prove costly. The abrupt closure of many effective aid programs means that some of the money already spent on food, medicines and other supplies is being wasted. The loss of experienced personnel will lead to less effective oversight of program implementation. Community relationships will suffer and may be difficult to rebuild. 

Please join us in praying for these impact communities and urging Congress and the Administration to swiftly review and reinstate these important programs.