Shaheen, Meeks Demand Answers in Letter to Rubio on Foreign Assistance Oversight Obstruction

WASHINGTON - This week, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio raising concerns that the State Department may be illegally impeding the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) from conducting statutorily mandated oversight of U.S. foreign assistance.

The letter comes following recent, significant changes to foreign assistance and operations, including humanitarian and development funding cuts and an alarming lack of transparency surrounding these decisions, underscoring the need for thorough, independent oversight.

"Congress in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and subsequent legislation has consistently reiterated its intention that USAID OIG conduct foreign assistance oversight because these programs are implemented by multiple federal entities and require specialized oversight because programs are implemented overseas, often in conflict zones, with high fraud, diversion and corruption risks. Nonetheless, we understand that you directed the USAID OIG to stop conducting its statutorily required oversight over foreign assistance programs via a July 1, 2025, 'All Diplomatic and Consular Posts' (ALDAC) cable," wrote the lawmakers.

"The effort to restrict the work of USAID OIG is a violation of federal law. . . The law further states that the definition of USAID includes 'any successor agency primarily responsible for administering Part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961' - giving USAID OIG clear responsibility for oversight of the programs and funding in question even if they are transferred to another agency. Given the monumental changes to foreign assistance funding and operations, a lack of adequate oversight is especially troubling," continued the lawmakers.

Full text of the letter is available HERE and provided below.

Dear Secretary Rubio,

We write to express serious concern that the State Department is impeding the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of the Inspector General (USAID OIG) from undertaking its statutorily mandated work to protect taxpayers' funds from waste, fraud and abuse pursuant to the Foreign Assistance Act and the Inspector General Act.

Congress in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and subsequent legislation has consistently reiterated its intention that USAID OIG conduct foreign assistance oversight because these programs are implemented by multiple federal entities and require specialized oversight because programs are implemented overseas, often in conflict zones, with high fraud, diversion, and corruption risks. Nonetheless, we understand that you directed the USAID OIG to stop conducting its statutorily required oversight over foreign assistance programs via a July 1, 2025, "All Diplomatic and Consular Posts" (ALDAC) cable.

The effort to restrict the work of USAID OIG is a violation of federal law. The Inspector General Act of 1978 states: "Neither the head of the establishment nor the officer next in rank below shall prevent or prohibit the Inspector General from initiating, carrying out, or completing any audit or investigation, or from issuing any subpoena during the course of any audit or investigation." The law further states that the definition of USAID includes "any successor agency primarily responsible for administering Part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961" - giving USAID OIG clear responsibility for oversight of the programs and funding in question even if they are transferred to another agency. Given the monumental changes to foreign assistance funding and operations, a lack of adequate oversight is especially troubling.

The USAID OIG staff are essential to root out waste, fraud, and abuse across foreign assistance programs-efforts this Administration claims to support-and has a decades long track record of doing so. This crucial work must be done by seasoned and well-trained law enforcement professionals capable of aggressively investigating claims of corruption, misuse of government funds, and impropriety in foreign aid programs across different countries, which is why the USAID OIG employs staff who are stationed in key locations around the world such as South Africa, Israel, and Ukraine.

As the Congressional committees responsible for oversight of foreign assistance, we have a clear interest and responsibility to ensure that the USAID OIG is conducting oversight of current foreign assistance operations. We urge you to act promptly to ensure that the entities which you lead end all obstruction and return to full compliance with USAID OIG's oversight mandate.

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