OneAID Updates
- oneaidcommunity
- Mar 25
- 7 min read
Updated: Apr 2
March 25, 2025
Happening This Week
Tuesday, March 25, 10:00 am ET: Virtual hearing on USAID. Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Gregory Meeks scheduled the “Shadow Hearing - Thrown into Chaos: The Dismantling of USAID and its Real-Life Consequences,” which will be attended by Democratic committee members only. Former USAID staff will testify.
Tuesday, March 25, 8:00 - 9:00 pm ET: Run for Something webinar. Run for Something leaders and former candidates present “From Public Service to Public Office: A Call for Former Federal Workers” to encourage public servants to run for elected office and to share resources.
Tuesday, March 25: Letter Writing. USAID staff and partners under the Hill Meetups Signal group are organizing a letter-writing campaign. All advocates are welcome to complete the following form by Tuesday night, and the organizers will format and print your letter for hand-delivery on Thursday: https://bit.ly/congressaidletters
Thursday, March 27, 9:00 am ET: USAID Litigation and Reduction in Force (RIF) webinar. USAID direct hire employees are invited to an information session for updates on the current state of applicable lawsuits, the RIF process, and employee rights.
Department of Education Clap Outs: Show your support for our Department of Education colleagues with signs and cheer:
Wednesday, March 26, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm ET: Union Center Plaza (DoEd Building), 830 1st St NE
Friday, March 28, 8:30 am - 2:00 pm ET: Lyndon Baines Johnson (DoEd Building), 400 Maryland Ave SW
Key Updates
One of the latest agencies attacked by DOGE, the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), sues Trump, DOGE, and Kenneth Jackson over forcible takeover of the independent, Congressionally established institute
A bipartisan coalition of national security experts filed an amicus brief and a group of NGOs filed a request to submit an additional brief in the case brought by Democracy Forward and Public Citizen Litigation Group on behalf of AFSA and AFGE
In the Does v. Musk case, the defendants, Elon Musk and DOGE, appeal to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
Confusion continues as a few USAID projects have received notifications that previous terminations are now being rescinded, with little to no additional information.
A new tool—the “Musk Watch DOGE Tracker”—reveals Elon Musk has overstated verified DOGE savings by at least 92%
More details below…
One of the latest agencies attacked by DOGE, the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), sues Trump, DOGE, and Kenneth Jackson over forcible takeover of the independent, Congressionally established institute
On March 18, USIP Board members sued DOGE and members of the administration seeking relief from DOGE’s forcible entrance into the iconic USIP headquarters building and Trump’s firing of all but three of the board members (the Secretaries of State and Defense and the President of NDU), which is bipartisan by law, in addition to the firing of the Institute’s acting president, Amb. George Moose. The suit argued that DOGE and Trump do not have this authority over an independent nonprofit organization created by Congress.
On March 19, the court denied the plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order to halt the takeover, reasoning that plaintiffs did not meet the high standard of showing irreparable harm or likelihood of success on the merits. The judge’s opinion emphasized the unique status of USIP, that is an independent organization established by Congress through the USIP Act, but also has presidentially-appointed leadership. The judge also noted her concern with how DOGE had seized control of the USIP by using armed DC police officers to escort staff from the building.
The next step in the litigation will be motions for summary judgment where each party can explain why they are entitled to a favorable judgment based on the law, with the result likely hinging on how USIP is classified in the private to governmental spectrum of control. On March 24, the plaintiffs filed an amended complaint adding additional plaintiffs (board member, Nancy Zirkin, and acting USIP president, Amb. George Moose) and a defendant (Trent Morse). It also tweaked the original language on USIP’s status and added an update on physical damage done to the building - including tearing the USIP seal off the wall following DOGE’s forcible takeover on March 17. It also outlined how DOGE “moved aggressively to gain control of the Institute’s infrastructure, including sensitive computer systems.”
A bipartisan coalition of national security experts filed an amicus brief and a group of NGOs filed a request to submit an additional brief in the case brought by Democracy Forward and Public Citizen Litigation Group on behalf of AFSA and AFGE
A bipartisan coalition of national security experts filed an amicus brief arguing that the Trump administration’s cuts to USAID threaten U.S. national security, surrenders diplomatic and economic opportunities to our adversaries, stunts the country’s ability to engage as a partner on the world stage, and is causing “irreparable” damage to America’s standing abroad.
In addition, Educational Fund, Inc., ActionAid USA, and Unitarian Universalist requested the court’s permission to file an additional amicus brief, focusing on the harms to global public health caused by the dismantling of USAID programs.
Amicus briefs are filed by individuals or groups that are not parties to the case, but have a strong interest in its outcome. They provide supplemental information to the courts, often focusing on areas that are not covered in detail already in the case and offer. In the case of the national security leaders brief, it is helpful to have so many different experts and leaders signed on to emphasize the impact of the actions taken.
In the Does v. Musk case, the defendants, Elon Musk and DOGE, appeal to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
Does v. Musk is the case where 26 anonymous USAID affiliated plaintiffs sued DOGE and Musk for their unauthorized dismantling of USAID and where the judge issued a favorable preliminary injunction ordering DOGE and Musk to halt these efforts while noting that duly appointed USAID officials may have the authority to take the same actions with required Congressional coordination.
The Fourth Circuit is traditionally considered one of the more conservative appellate regions; however, a former very influential former Fourth Circuit judge, Michael Luttig, published an opinion piece in the NYT titled, “It’s Trump vs the Courts, and It Won’t End Well for Trump,” demonstrating that traditional conservative jurists are increasingly uncomfortable with the administration’s blatant disregard for the rule of law.
Confusion continues as a few USAID projects have received notifications that previous contract terminations are now being rescinded
Three major USAID health projects have reported receiving notices on USAID letterhead that previous contract terminations have now been rescinded. These notices do not provide any other guidance, leaving implementing partners wondering what they should be doing next, as well as what components of their work will be reimbursed going forward and on whose authority. With very few staff members currently working at USAID, it will likely be difficult for partners to receive guidance on project implementation as well as monitoring and evaluation of programming now restarting.
New tool reveals Musk has overstated verified DOGE savings by at least 92%
USAID expert Brian Banks, has teamed up with Judd Legume’s Musk Watch to produce the Musk Watch DOGE Tracker, which allows anyone to easily see how much of DOGE’s claimed savings can be verified.
The tool will be updated regularly and also allows the public to go deeper and see what is being cut and who is being impacted.
The total Verifiable Canceled Funding, as calculated by the Musk Watch DOGE Tracker, is currently $8.6 billion. This means the top line claim of savings by DOGE, $105 billion, overstates the verified savings by 92%.
Consistent Topline Talking Points (last updated March 25)
Preserving Foreign Assistance as a U.S. Foreign Policy Tool
An effort from the Trump administration and Congress to reform and streamline U.S. foreign assistance is welcome, but the approach taken is not a serious reform effort: it is an ineffective, sloppy power grab that is – unintentionally or not – destroying the U.S foreign assistance apparatus and depriving the U.S. of a critical soft-power tool. Foreign assistance keeps us safer here at home while demonstrating American generosity and saving millions of lives around the world.
If the current efforts continue, the United States will be left without the systems, experienced personnel, or partners necessary to responsibly and strategically implement foreign assistance.
Americans agree: foreign assistance is a powerful U.S. soft-power tool and 89 percent of Americans support spending at least 1 percent of our federal budget on foreign aid. For this reason, Congress must halt these illegal actions by DOGE and instead implement a more strategic, sensible reform effort that restores the legislative branch’s important oversight function.
USAID: The first, but not the last
USAID is the playbook for President Trump and Elon Musk’s plan for a rapid and potentially illegal overhaul of the U.S. government. This is being done without the Congressional approval and oversight required for those agencies codified by statute. Reform is welcome, but what DOGE is doing is not reform, it is taking a sledgehammer to destroy a vital tool of U.S. national security.
Rep. Bacon (R-NE) underscored this in his comments to the Wall Street Journal: “[USAID was] funding a lot of stupid stuff—that’s a fact. But they’re also doing a lot of good stuff too. So you don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Instead of taking a sledgehammer, let’s get out the scalpel.”
Instead of undertaking a reform effort—working closely with Congress as is required by law—DOGE has taken a “burn it all down” approach including mass firings and major infringements on Congress’s power of the purse. This may work for tech firms, but it is a dangerous approach for government institutions that must remain accountable to taxpayers, enforce laws, and deliver public goods.
Current Impact
American Economy and Jobs
Confirmed Job Losses: As a result of the dismantling of USAID, 15,596 Americans have lost their jobs, been furloughed, or placed on administrative leave. 140,179 jobs globally (non-American) have been lost as of March 18, 2025.
Health
According to UNAIDS, there could be 2,000 new HIV infections per day globally and a ten-fold increase in related deaths if funding frozen by the U.S. is not restored or replaced.
March 24 was World Tuberculosis (TB) Day. Until the Trump Administration stopped USAID’s TB programs, the U.S. was the leading donor in preventing and responding to TB. WHO reports that TB causes over 1 million deaths each year and is the world's leading infectious disease killer, despite being curable. According to MSF, every three minutes, one child dies of TB.
As a result of USAID funding cuts, WHO has warned that millions of lives are in danger, and former acting administrator for Global Health Nicholas Enrich recently estimated that TB cases will increase by 28 to 32% globally. The TB Impact Counter estimates that the discontinuation of USAID funding may have led to an estimated 11,261 additional tuberculosis deaths and 14,299 additional infections since January 24, 2025.
An increase in TB and multidrug-resistant TB cases worldwide threatens the lives of Americans at home. According to the Center for Global Development, TB cases in the U.S. are already increasing by more than 15% a year. If this increase doubles to 30% annually, the amount that the U.S. spends treating TB will triple by the end of the Trump administration, with more than twice as many deaths during this presidency than under Biden’s. If TB and multidrug-resistant TB in the U.S. reach current global average rates due to failed international control efforts, it is estimated over 33,000 Americans would die from TB annually and treatment costs would exceed $11 billion.
It is more efficient and cost-effective for the U.S. to invest in prevention and response to TB epidemics overseas, than to respond to a TB epidemic in the U.S. In FY 2024, Congress appropriated $394.5 million to USAID for TB programs; if calculated against the global 2023 TB case total of 10.8 million people minus the 9,633 reported TB cases in the U.S. in 2023, amounts to nearly $37 invested per person infected with TB overseas, preventing the spread of TB to the U.S. The average cost of TB treatments for one patient in the U.S. can range from $18,000 to nearly $500,000, depending on how drug resistant the strain of TB is.
While the estimates are not exact and depend on how much aid continues, the Center for Global Development (as reported by the New York Times) calculated updated estimates on how many lives are at risk within one year due to USAID funding cuts:
~1,650,000 people may die without U.S. funding for HIV prevention and treatment
~500,000 people may die without U.S. funding for vaccines
~550,000 people may die without U.S. funding for food aid
~290,000 people may die without U.S. funding for malaria prevention
~310,000 people may die without U.S. funding for TB prevention
Humanitarian Assistance
In Myanmar, nearly 20 million people (37% of the total population) are in need of emergency assistance. U.S. funding cuts have led to the suspension and termination of humanitarian aid across all sectors:
The funding cuts pose an existential threat to local and national organisations, which carry out the bulk of the humanitarian response in Myanmar.
Humanitarian actors warn there will be an increase in waterborne and vector-borne diseases, increased maternal mortality rate, and increased malnutrition in children, among other impacts.
Additionally, regional spillover is expected, as rising needs and decreasing assistance drive further cross-border displacement into neighboring countries.
In Thailand, while the International Rescue Committee has reportedly received a partial waiver to continue providing certain health services, funding for the Thai Border Consortium, which provides food aid to all nine refugee camps on the border and also received financial support from USAID, remains suspended. Without support, food rations will run out by the end of March.
Refugees who live in the nine camps dotting the border cannot move freely, with the Thai authorities tightly controlling permission to enter and exit. As a result, the approximately 90,000 Myanmar refugees are completely dependent on humanitarian aid—from food rations to health care.
In Afghanistan, 22.9 million people (nearly 50% of the total population) are in need of emergency assistance. According to WFP, 1 in 3 Afghans do not know where their next meal will come from. The U.S. has been the largest donor to the humanitarian response since 2013. U.S. funding cuts have had far-reaching impacts on current operations, including:
115 gender-based violence service delivery points are suspended, affecting 1 million women survivors. Women and girls—already marginalized and among the most vulnerable—stand to be the most affected by the U.S. funding suspension.
Protection services for 3.3 million people, including 1.6 million children, can no longer be provided, including case management, psychological support, emergency victim assistance, and explosive ordnance risk education.
400 nutrition sites have closed, depriving thousands of acutely malnourished children and women treatment, and threatening to increase mortality rates.
Over 220 health facilities have closed, denying 1.8 million people access to primary health care.
With the lack of information being provided by the U.S. government to its implementing partners in Afghanistan, some organizations have had to develop their own collective messaging to explain the U.S. funding cuts to crisis-affected communities.
In the Central African Republic (CAR), approximately 18,000 people live in the Korsi refugee camp in Birao. UNFPA reports increased rates of sexual violence, trafficking and forced marriage in CAR, particularly in displacement camps and areas controlled by armed groups.
The Trump Administration terminated UNFPA programs in the Korsi refugee camp—and others near the borders with Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan. As a result, many services aimed at reaching almost 70,000 women and girls will no longer be able to operate. Two UNFPA-supported health clinics have been forced to close, limiting access for emergency assistance—including for safe delivery and clinical management of rape—for thousands of people.
Additional Resources for Information
U.S. Foreign Aid Updates by Foreign Policy for America