DOGE at work

[Jim at Gentex]

USAID was established in 1961 by Executive Order from President Kennedy.

So Trump can and will dismantle it by the same authority, should he choose to do so.

Here is a quote from Press Secretary Leavitt yesterday about the patently RIDICULOUS things USAID has been funding:

Speaking to reporters, Leavitt said, "If you look at the waste and abuse that has run through USAID over the past several years, these are some of the insane priorities that the organization has been spending money on — $1.5 million to advance DEI in Serbia's workplaces, $70,000 for the production of a DEI musical in Ireland, $47,000 for a transgender opera in Colombia, and $32,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru."

If the mission of DOGE is to find wasteful spending, this was a great place to start.

If anyone would care to try to defend those absurd programs that were funded by OUR TAX DOLLARS, please explain it to me.
Otherwise just sit back and observe what real leadership looks like.

[JParis]

Congress does approve funding for USAid, correct? I'm not sure how all of that factors in to who gets to decide how the money is spent (or not spent) and who doesn't.

To remove the agency completely would require congressional approval?

I don't believe so for the most part....Congress "might" have approved a block of money but the Executive office was determining where it goes...and it appears it has become very much a "slush fund"

Any agency "created" by a Congressional act would need to be dissolved by Congress.....their funding on the other hand, that can be a bit more fuzzy. Again the specifics really matter here but it's not a cut & dry issue across the board and therein lies the issue.

Something can most certainly be done, others would cross a line, so the specific details will alter greatly the reality.

It's a factor of exactly how convoluted this government acts and has become.

[JParis]

USAID was established in 1961 by Executive Order from President Kennedy.

So Trump can and will dismantle it by the same authority, should he choose to do so.

That is 100% correct however, are we missing a Congressional act somewhere along the way that codified that Agency? On that question, I do not know.

[beej]

Kennedy created that by executive order when democrats had full control of the house and senate. My goodness! we need to get back to the original roles of government.

As Reagan said, a government bureau is the closest thing we'll ever see to eternal life on this earth.

[neurosis]

If the mission of DOGE is to find wasteful spending, this was a great place to start.

If anyone would care to try to defend those absurd programs that were funded by OUR TAX DOLLARS, please explain it to me.
Otherwise just sit back and observe what real leadership looks like.

Of all the things Musk has done recently, USAid was the least concerning to me. I don't care if they cut wasteful spending, as long as they go about it the right way. What's happening now looks more like a hostile takeover of government agencies. I know that lawsuits are already being filed over Musks access to confidential data from the Treasury.

[Jim at Gentex]

That is 100% correct however, are we missing a Congressional act somewhere along the way that codified that Agency? On that question, I do not know.

No, but Congress did keep approving the funding for it for decades with ZERO oversight of the NGO's who were in charge of distributing it.

JP is right, this is the very definition of a 'slush fund', and one that led to the ridiculous spending items that I posted earlier.

[JParis]

What's happening now looks more like a hostile takeover of government agencies.

I don't think that's an unfair assessment.

I also think we need to factor in just how outside of the norms though that they have been acting.

[Jim at Gentex]

Of all the things Musk has done recently, USAid was the least concerning to me. I don't care if they cut wasteful spending, as long as they go about it the right way. What's happening now looks more like a hostile takeover of government agencies. I know that lawsuits are already being filed over Musks access to confidential data from the Treasury.

Confidential data?

The mechanism that writes checks using OUR TAX DOLLARS is confidential data?
Please tell me you don't believe that.

If the truth be told, Elon Musk probably pays more in taxes than some small countries have in their entire fiscal budgets, so if anyone has 'skin in the game' it's him.

[Jeff]

What's happening now looks more like a hostile takeover of government agencies

You're right. We should continue to sit back and do nothing about how our tax dollars are being spent.

[neurosis]

Confidential data?

The mechanism that writes checks using OUR TAX DOLLARS is confidential data?
Please tell me you don't believe that.

You don't consider the personal and/or financial information of individuals and businesses to be confidential? 

[Jeff]

You don't consider the personal and/or financial information of individuals and businesses to be confidential?

LOL.
Our information hasn't been confidential since Al Gore invented the internet.
We just have the illusion that it is.

[neurosis]

LOL.
Our information hasn't been confidential since Al Gore invented the internet.
We just have the illusion that it is.

That might be true, but that isn't really the point.

[Jeff]

Dictatorship!  In other words, we mad because they will find out what the taxpayer money REALLY goes towards.

[Jeff]

That might be true, but that isn't really the point.

Elon Musk doesn't need our money. He has plenty. I'm not worried about him cutting USAID or any other wasteful Government programs.

[Bucky Cornstarch]

It's important to remember that whatever this administration does, whether from spite, political aspirations, or just out of the goodness of their hearts  ,  a future administration (provided that we continue to have elections in this country) can do the same, and will most likely push the boundaries even further.

Some that are so eagerly (and blindly) cheering this on may not be so enthusiastic next time around.