Rubio Defends USAID Closure, Highlights State Department's Improved Disaster Response and Global Health Initiatives
In March 2025, USAID was absorbed by the State Department to streamline foreign assistance operations, leading to USAID's closure in July 2025 with thousands of job cuts. Senator Rubio defended the move, stating alarmists were wrong and argued that the realignment enabled the State Department to streamline disaster response and leverage American companies to save lives.
The effectiveness of the new structure was demonstrated in October 2025, when Hurricane Melissa, a Category 5 storm, struck Jamaica. It was the strongest hurricane to hit Kingston in 174 years. The State Department promptly deployed a regional Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) alongside U.S.-based Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams to support recovery efforts in the Caribbean. Approximately $1 million was allocated for food and other resources, stored across 12 regional warehouses. Additionally, the Department coordinated with the UN World Food Programme to distribute 5,000 family food packs in Jamaica.
Despite praise from some quarters, former Presidents Obama and Bush criticized the closure. Obama described it as a "colossal mistake" in a video shown to departing USAID employees. The Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) report highlighted wasteful USAID spending, citing examples such as $1.5 million for a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) program in Serbia and $70,000 for a DEI musical in Ireland.
These reforms are part of broader State Department restructuring and the America First Global Health Strategy. Under this new strategy, Kenya signed a five-year, $2.5 billion Health Cooperation Framework agreement with the U.S. in December, emphasizing renewed focus on global health partnerships.
