Marco Rubio appoints Russ Vought for oversight of USAID shutdown

USAID, the longstanding foreign aid agency, is officially on its way out the door under President Donald Trump’s administration.

In a move that’s been months in the making, Secretary of State and Acting National Security Adviser Marco Rubio has tapped Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought to oversee the final closeout of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), as Breitbart reports.

This story starts back in January, when the Trump administration began slashing budgets and restructuring agencies with a focus on saving taxpayer dollars—tens of billions, by their own account. It’s no secret that USAID has been in the crosshairs, with critics long arguing it’s a bloated relic of inefficient spending. And let’s be honest, when only a sliver of every dollar reaches its target, something’s got to give.

Early moves made to end USAID

By March, Rubio’s State Department started absorbing what was left of USAID’s core functions, which meant pink slips for thousands of employees. It’s a tough pill to swallow for those affected, but the administration insists this is about cutting fat, not heart.

In May, Rubio didn’t hold back during testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, painting USAID as a symbol of what he called a “foreign aid industrial complex.” His quip that just “12 cents” of every dollar spent reached intended recipients stings because it rings true for many frustrated taxpayers. If that’s not a wake-up call for reform, what is?

The real hammer dropped in July, when Congress narrowly passed a $9 billion rescissions package, backed by Trump, that gutted funding for USAID alongside public broadcasting entities like PBS and NPR. The House squeaked it through with a 216-213 vote, while the Senate followed with a tight 51-48 tally, thanks to Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Rubio, and Vought’s efforts. Turns out, fiscal discipline can still find a few friends on Capitol Hill.

Congress delivers historic funding cuts

This rescission wasn’t just a budget trim — it was the first successful cut to appropriated spending in decades, effectively disabling USAID’s ability to issue foreign aid grants. For those who’ve long questioned the agency’s value, this felt like a rare victory against unchecked government bloat.

But the controversy surrounding USAID didn’t help its case, with reports surfacing about questionable programs, including a decade-long project that sent thousands of virus samples to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. That revelation raised eyebrows and fueled arguments that the agency had veered far from its mission. It’s hard to defend a program when the optics are this bad.

Meanwhile, the State Department is undergoing its most significant reorganization since the Cold War, slashing domestic offices and consolidating functions to align foreign assistance with Trump’s agenda. Moving forward, aid will flow directly through regional bureaus and embassies, bypassing the need for a standalone agency like USAID. It’s a streamlined vision, though skeptics might worry about oversight.

Rubio, Vought team up for wind-down

On Friday, Rubio made the official announcement via a post on X, revealing Vought’s new role in wrapping up USAID’s operations. He couldn’t resist a jab, joking that President Donald Trump told him to offload one of his many hats to his friend Vought. Well, if you’ve got four jobs, sharing the load isn’t a bad idea.

Rubio’s post also celebrated the savings achieved since January, claiming billions returned to taxpayers, with a handful of USAID programs now housed under the State Department. “USAID is officially in close-out mode,” he declared, adding that Vought is the right man to steer an agency that “long ago went off the rails.” That’s a polite way of saying it’s been a mess for too long.

Vought, for his part, kept it short and sweet, responding with, “Happy to help!” Something is refreshing about a bureaucrat ready to roll up his sleeves for a tough job. Let’s hope the enthusiasm translates to results.

New era dawns for foreign aid delivery

With USAID’s funding stripped and its remaining functions folded into the State Department, this marks the end of an era for how America delivers foreign aid. The shift to direct management through embassies and regional bureaus aims to cut red tape and ensure assistance matches national priorities. It’s a bold bet on efficiency over tradition.

For supporters of the Trump administration, this closeout is a win for accountability and a rejection of wasteful spending that has plagued government for decades. Critics, however, may lament the loss of an independent agency dedicated to global development, fearing aid could become too politicized under direct State Department control. Both sides have a point, but only time will tell if this gamble pays off.

At the end of the day, the USAID shutdown sends a clear message: the days of blank-check bureaucracy are numbered. Under Rubio and Vought’s watch, the focus is on aligning every dollar with America’s interests, not some outdated notion of endless generosity. It’s a tough-love approach that might just remind Washington that actions, indeed, have consequences.