Duckworth, Durbin Join Kaine, Colleagues in Introducing Legislation to Expand Congressional Oversight of Foreign Assistance

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) and 16 of their Senate colleagues in introducing legislation to expand congressional oversight of foreign assistance decision-making. TheForeign Assistance Accountability and Oversight Actwould require the State Department’s Director of Foreign Assistance to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate and for all foreign assistance funding provided to the State Department or U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to be used as directed within 90 days of its appropriation by Congress. The Director of Foreign Assistance is currently not confirmed by the Senate, and the Trump Administration has refused to publicly identify the individual currently occupying this powerful position.
“Donald Trump and Elon Musk illegally dismantling USAID would not only jeopardize the safety and well-being of innocent people around the world, but it would also hurt our national security, make our country less safe and cost taxpayersmoremoney—not less,”said Duckworth.“This is yet another illegal power grab by the President—and Americans will undoubtedly feel the ramifications as bad actors like the PRC and Russia step in to fill the leadership vacuum that Trump so foolishly created. Our legislation would help push back against this dangerous agenda by strengthening our foreign assistance programs, increasing Congressional oversight of the State Department and reaffirming that this Administration must follow the law as written by Congress.”
“USAID is the reason deadly infectious diseases are monitored and contained, countries become more free and prosperous, and humanitarian crises are minimized.  More than 70 million people have gained access to clean drinking water in the last decade, thanks to USAID.  PEPFAR, a USAID program, curtailed the AIDS epidemic in Africa, saving more than 25 million lives.  Simply put, investing in USAID is a smart investment for everyone.  President Trump’s draconian decision to gut USAID and its funding puts innocent lives and American influence across the globe at risk,”said Durbin.“I’m introducing legislation with Senator Kaine to protect the agency and its lifesaving work.”
“Foreign assistance is not a handout. It is a critical part of our national security strategy and a key tool to keep Americans safe from disease, narcotics and instability. China has rapidly expanded its foreign assistance over the past decade, and would like nothing more than for the United States to retreat on the global stage. The Trump Administration’s recent attempts to destroy USAID and U.S. foreign assistance programs emboldens China, Russia, and Iran, makes Americans less safe, puts thousands of Americans out of work, and is already causing cause immense human suffering for millions of people around the world,”said Kaine.“That’s why I’m introducing this bill to force congressional oversight of this lawless and damaging behavior.”
Along with Duckworth, Durbin and Kaine, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patti Murray (D-WA), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
Full text of the bill is available onSenator Duckworth’s website.
Duckworth has repeatedly called out President Donald Trump and his Administration’s illegal attack on USAID. Today, Duckworthledher fellow SFRC Democratic colleagues in demanding immediate answers from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on how much it will cost American taxpayers to pull USAID workers off the job overseas and relocate them back to the United States. This week, Duckworth alsospoke outagainst Trump’s ongoing illegal power grabs—including the shuttering of USAID—on the Senate floor as part of Senate Democrats’ 30-hour protest opposing Project 2025 architect Russell Vought’s nomination to serve as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). As a result of Trump’s ongoing lawlessness, Duckworth alsoannouncedthis week that she will be a blanket-no on all remaining top-level cabinet nominees.
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