This increased scrutiny on USAID spending is valid, according to Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho. (Al Drago-Pool/Getty Images)
Risch said that several weeks into the Trump administration, he and others, including Rubio, evaluated a list of programs that detailed $3 million in funding for "promotion of democracy in Lower Slobovia." According to Risch, the description didn’t provide enough information and items like these are totaling up to billions of dollars that must undergo review.
"Lower Slobovia" is a fictional place and a term used by Americans to describe an underdeveloped foreign country.
"We can do so much better, not only in how, how much money we spend, but how we spend it," Risch said. "So, if you say, well, we're eliminating this program, be careful you don't say, 'Oh, that means we're walking away from human rights.' Look, America is human rights. If America leads the way on human rights. We are the world standard on human rights. We have no intention of giving that position up."
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) targeted USAID in its push to eliminate wasteful spending. The agency came under fire for many funding choices, including allocating $1.5 million for a program that sought to "advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities" and a $70,000 program for a "DEI musical" in Ireland.
‘HYSTERIA’: WHITE HOUSE SHUTS DOWN CONCERNS OVER USAID DOCUMENT PURGE
Sen. Jim Risch said the increased scrutiny evaluating USAID funding is warranted. (Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images)
"Foreign assistance done right can advance our national interests, protect our borders, and strengthen our partnerships with key allies," Rubio said in a March statement to Fox News Digital. "Unfortunately, USAID strayed from its original mission long ago. As a result, the gains were too few and the costs were too high."
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"We are reorienting our foreign assistance programs to align directly with what is best for the United States and our citizens," Rubio said. "We are continuing essential lifesaving programs and making strategic investments that strengthen our partners and our own country."
Meanwhile, Democrats slammed the restructuring of the agency, labeling the move "illegal."
"Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s destruction and dismantling of USAID is not only disastrous foreign policy and counter to our national security interests; it is plainly illegal," the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said in a statement in March. "Congress wrote a law establishing USAID as an independent agency with its own appropriation, and only Congress can eliminate it."
Diana Stancy is a politics reporter with Fox News Digital covering the White House.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/risch-urges-top-bottom-usaid-spending-review-after-waste-fraud-exposed