WASHINGTON — The website of the U.S. Agency for International Development (Le Monde) went offline without explanation on February 1 as furloughs, layoffs, and program shutdowns continued amid President Donald Trump’s freeze on U.S.-funded foreign aid and development initiatives worldwide. This freeze has raised significant fears, particularly among congressional Democrats, who suspect that Trump may attempt to dissolve USAID as an independent entity, merging it with the State Department. Democrats assert that such a move would be legally questionable, arguing that the work of USAID is essential for national security.

Republicans, including Trump, have criticized various foreign aid and development programs as wasteful, claiming some promote liberal social agendas. The concerns escalated about tougher actions against USAID just two weeks into the freeze affecting billions of dollars allocated for humanitarian, development, and security assistance. As the world’s leading humanitarian aid donor, the U.S. allocates less than 1% of its total budget to foreign assistance, a significantly smaller share compared to several other nations.

On Saturday, administration officials remained silent regarding lawmakers' concerns about USAID's future as an independent agency. Established by President John F. Kennedy during the Cold War to counter Soviet influence, USAID is crucial in countering China’s advancement through its “Belt and Road” initiative.

Staff at USAID closely monitored their agency's status, sharing updates on social media about whether their building was still identifiable with flags and signage. As of late Saturday, these remained intact.

In a post on X, Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) spoke out against the potential dissolution of USAID, emphasizing that legally, such elimination cannot occur via executive order. He noted, "That’s what a despot — who wants to steal the taxpayers’ money to enrich his billionaire cabal — does," a sentiment echoed by many others concerned about checks and balances in government.

Elon Musk, advising Trump on reducing federal bureaucracy, has supported calls to dissolve USAID, tweeting, "Live by executive order, die by executive order." The president's freeze on foreign aid was initiated on his first day in office, January 20, and was enforced through unexpected policy interpretations that led to widespread program shutdowns and job losses for thousands.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has mentioned efforts to keep life-saving emergency programs active during the freeze, although aid groups report confusion about which programs remain operational, which is contributing to a halt within global aid organizations.

Rubio's comments suggested a review of USAID's operations to weed out those considered non-essential to U.S. interests, yet he did not propose disbanding the agency. The disruption during the ongoing review process has reportedly fostered “a lot more cooperation” from international aid recipients.

This political tug-of-war surrounding USAID and foreign assistance has persisted for years, with Republicans generally advocating for greater State Department control and Democrats supporting USAID’s autonomy.

These tensions echo previous attempts by Trump to cut foreign operations budgets drastically, efforts that led to confrontations with Congress and were later ruled as violations of the Impoundment Control Act by the General Accounting Office.

For more details, see the reporting by AP News and HuffPost.