Secretary of State Marco Rubio leveled harsh criticism at what he termed the entrenched “foreign aid industrial complex” during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee session, expressing frustration over what he described as a deeply flawed system in which USAID fails to effectively deliver assistance to those most in need.
Rubio took aim squarely at the agency, asserting that it’s long overdue for a complete overhaul from the ground up.
“At USAID, 12 cents of every dollar was reaching the recipient. That means that in order for us to get aid to somebody, we had to spend all this other money supporting this foreign aid industrial complex,” Rubio said.
He outlined plans for a dramatic shift in how foreign aid is distributed, emphasizing a model that focuses on greater efficiency, regional expertise, and programs with measurable impact.
“We’re going to find more efficient ways to deliver aid to people directly. It’s going to be directed by our regional bureaus. It’s going to sponsor programs that make a difference. And it’s going to be part of a holistic approach to our foreign policy.”
While he made it clear that U.S. assistance would continue, Rubio insisted that the bloated systems managing the aid must be restructured.
“We still will provide more foreign aid, more humanitarian support, than the next 10 countries combined… and far more than China,” he said, pushing back against critics who claim these changes would weaken America’s global influence. “China doesn’t do humanitarian aid. China does predatory lending.”
Rubio also credited long-serving staffers within the department for helping to drive reform and admitted that the State Department had lost its primary role in shaping American foreign relations.
“Many of the reforms we’ve made were driven by people inside the building—many of whom have worked there for 20 or 30 years,” he said. “The State Department had to change. I’m telling you—it was no longer at the center of American foreign policy. It had often been replaced by the National Security Council or by some other agency of government.”
{Matzav.com}