The The Trump administration said it will once again shut down the United States Agency for International Assistance (USAID) headquarters in downtown Washington DC, meaning agency workers will be barred from entering the facility for a second day on Tuesday, with plans to close the agency altogether.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that he is now the acting head of the United States Agency for International Assistance (USAID), which provides billions of dollars in aid around the world.
Democratic lawmakers called the measure “unconstitutional,” saying it would harm the world’s poor, threaten national security, and diminish America’s influence on the world stage.
President Donald Trump and one of his top advisers, billionaire Elon Musk, have been strongly opposed to the agency.
USAID was established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, and employs approximately 10,000 staff with a budget of approximately $40 billion (£32.25 billion) of the $68 billion US government budget provides foreign aid.
On the other hand, some members of the Democratic Party accused Elon Musk of being behind this issue due to his business interests.
Over the weekend, Musk posted multiple messages on social media accusing USAID of being rife with corruption and fraud.
