Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed on Monday that he is the acting director of the U.S. Agency for International Development following reports of changes to the federal agency and an apparent attempt to shut it down.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, wrote a letter to the administration after reading reports that employees from the Department of Government Efficiency had accessed USAID's headquarters and classified spaces.
The letter asks Rubio whether the people who reportedly accessed classified settings had the proper security clearances.
A spokeswoman for DOGE said no classified material was accessed without proper security clearances.
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DOGE is a Trump-created entity that is not technically a federal department. Rather, it's meant to serve an advisory role in an effort to cut wasteful spending in the federal government. It's led by billionaire Elon Musk, who said USAID must be shut down, likening it to a "criminal organization."
USAID is at the forefront of global development and humanitarian assistance, working in over 100 countries to promote economic growth, health, education and democratic governance.
A source told Scripps News that USAID employees who work in Washington, D.C. were sent an email Sunday night stating to not come into the office on Monday. They were told to work remotely. The source also stated that some employees have been locked out of their work accounts.
It's still unclear what will ultimately happen to USAID. Democratic senators are challenging the administration's authority to dismantle the agency without congressional approval.
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