A rally in defense of USAID on Wednesday across from the Capitol Building in Washington drew thousands of demonstrators and numerous Congressional Democrats, some of whom gave fiery speeches about opposing the Trump Administration's plans to close down the foreign aid agency.
Organizers told Scripps News they had expected a few hundred people in attendance, but ultimately there were several thousand people filling the lawn to listen to lawmakers and current and former USAID officials and employees.
The rally comes as the Trump administration announced that most employees working directly for USAID across the world would be placed on administrative leave starting on Friday the 7th.
Over the weekend, USAID websites and staff accounts were deactivated and government personnel claiming to be part of the Department of Government Efficiency barred staff from entry to the agency headquarters.
Elon Musk, the billionaire who heads the Department of Government Efficiency, has claimed that the department is rife with corruption and that President Trump has agreed it should be shuttered.
"What we have is just a ball of worms. You’ve got to basically get rid of the whole thing. It’s beyond repair," he said on social media Monday.
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But on Wednesday there were calls for unity and increased opposition to the rapid dismantling of USAID.
"This must be a coalition that grows and grows and grows," New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker told rallygoers. "There can be no bystanders in this fight. It is time that we understand the only thing necessary for wrong to triumph is for right to do nothing."
Booker said U.S. Senators would not cooperate with Trump administration appointments to the State Department or appointments related to foreign policy.
Booker said there would also be efforts to raise legal challenges to violation of civil service and civil rights laws wherever possible.
"It's not a legal question. It's illegal. It's very clearly illegal," Rep. Jason Crow from Colorado told Scripps News about the efforts to dismantle USAID. "Congress created these organizations and entities. Congress funded the entities. The administration can change policy but they cannot get rid of USAID and these agencies and departments."
"We're going through the budgeting process," Rep. Crow said. "That is our main leverage right now. There's litigation going on with private organizations."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is currently the acting director of USAID after its old leadership was removed, said Wednesday the administration intends to evaluate and restart U.S. aid missions abroad on a case-by-case basis.
"This is not about ending foreign aid. It is about structuring it in a way that furthers the national interest of the United States," he said.
