Several Democratic lawmakers pushed back Monday at the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, promising to fight the administration and billionaire Elon Musk in court.
USAID headquarters was closed Monday, its website down and most of its employees barred from entering the building by federal law enforcement and unable to access email only hours after Musk — who Trump has designated as a “special government employee” — announced on X that he and Trump “agreed we should shut it down.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Monday he is the new acting administrator of USAID, which oversees humanitarian aid and development in more than 120 countries.
“I’m sorry that you have to put up with this offensive bullshit coming out of this White House,” said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., speaking directly to federal employees disaffected by Musk’s recent actions through the nascent Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.
Before setting their sights on USAID, Musk’s DOGE teams reportedly visited and took over operations and some IT systems at several federal agencies, including the Office of Personnel Management, General Services Administration and the Treasury Department. “This is illegal, this is wrong, and this is unconstitutional,” Rep. Suhas Subramanyan, D-Va., told a crowd of several hundred. “It takes an act of Congress to shut down USAID, but you know what? Congress will not let this happen.”
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va, said Democrats would “fight in every way we can, in the courts, in public opinion, with the bully pulpit and in the halls of Congress.”
Connolly’s district, like Subramanyan’s, is home to tens of thousands of federal employees and federal contractors. Musk has vowed to use DOGE to make major reductions in federal spending and headcount.
“We’re here today not only to fight for federal employees who dedicate themselves every day to a humanitarian path, we’re here to save lives,” he added. “I want to say to all the employees: We are with you. We will stand with you, shoulder to shoulder. This may be a long and difficult struggle and fight, but we’re with you.”
The American Foreign Service Association, which represents the men and women of the United States Foreign Service, lambasted the administration’s decision to dismantle USAID.
“This will undermine U.S. national security, may subvert Congressional authority, and demonstrates a lack of respect for the dedication of the development professionals who serve America’s interests abroad,” the association said in a statement. “The abrupt placement of dozens of foreign service officers on administrative leave without notice and proper justification, combined with fear and confusion within the agency, signals a dangerous shift toward reducing a workforce indiscriminately — without considering the harm to U.S. interests and established agency procedures.”
Upon trying to enter USAID’s headquarters, a group of Senate and House Democratic lawmakers were told officials from the front office were not available to meet.
