AlterNet: 'They need to be fired': Republicans furious DOGE blocked funding Marco Rubio approved

[Dennis Donovan]

AlterNet - 'They need to be fired': Republicans furious DOGE blocked funding Marco Rubio approved



During his years in the U.S. Senate, now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio was a strong supporter of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) — which he viewed as a valuable asset from a foreign policy standpoint. Rubio and Senate Democrats had plenty of disagreements, but they agreed that foreign aid via USAID did a lot to advance the United States' interests abroad.

But now, USAID is a major target of the Trump Administration and the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Experiencing mass layoffs, USAID is being gutted by MAGA Republicans. Axios reported that 92 percent of foreign assistance grants were being "axed."

According to NOTUS reporter Haley Byrd Wilt, spending Rubio approved as secretary of state was blocked by DOGE staffers. And some GOP lawmakers are crying foul.

Wilt, in an article published on February 27, reports, "Republicans love Elon Musk's plans to slash government spending, but they're not quite as thrilled at how a set of unelected bureaucrats is carrying it out — or how those new staffers are defying Senate-confirmed Cabinet secretaries in the process. When Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved foreign aid programs he deemed critical to American interests, two Department of Government Efficiency employees canceled the spending instead. The Washington Post reported that those DOGE employees have access to the payment system and manually blocked the funding, including money for Ukraine and HIV treatment programs — prompting pushback from Republicans on Capitol Hill."
/snip

[newdeal2]

1. Eventually Eloon will have his AI program decide

Who and what is valuable and what to cut. No need for humans or oversight.

[Zorro]

7. Won't be too long now

before Musk's AI is rating every person in the country on a desirable/undesirable scale.

[newdeal2]

12. What's crazy is even corporate America hasn't gone this far

They are employing AI and sometimes replacing other systems or people with it. But somehow the for-profit industry is being more cautious with this technology than the government.

We are the guinea pigs.

[wolfie001]

16. All my posts about the orange fatso

I stand behind that 100%.

[Lovie777]

2. Whatever..............

next.

[Prairie Gates]

3. Any Sec State with a shred of principle would tell them to open the funding or he'd resign

Absolutely bonkers. A couple of idiot kids are blocking funding that has been approved by the Secretary of State on their own say-so?

That's insane.

We do not have a government at this point. There is a cabal of radicals that have their hands on the levers. That's it. We have no government.

This is the Republican Secretary of State, chosen by the Republican President and confirmed almost unanimously by the Republican controlled Senate. And he's being overruled in matters of foreign policy by some unknown twenty-somethings in a fake agency? We have no government right now.

[kacekwl]

4. I'm sure

Little Marco will speak up about it. Weak kneed little man.

[Wingus Dingus]

5. Big Balls and the other DOGEbags outrank Little Marco.

[tanyev]

9. Marco didn't think joining Trump's Cabinet gave him any power or autonomy, did he?

[UpInArms]

13. Didn't TFG say anyone who doesn't support Eloonatic

Is out?

[Ace Rothstein]

6. People somehow think Elon and his incompetent clowns hacked the election.

They can't do anything right out in the open.

[Autumn]

8. Not a problem. The Pukes will be fine with it tomorrow.

I really don't care.

[themaguffin]

10. So furious that they'll do nothing.

[Omnipresent]

11. That's kind and respectful of you to write Marco's name the way he wants to be called, but...

Like the Gulf of Mexico, which trump renamed. Marco Rubio should only be called “Little Marco” from now on.
Trump sets the standards!

[ProfessorPlum]

14. Gee, Republicans, it turns out government is spending money on a lot of really useful, beneficial things. Who knew?

[pansypoo53219]

15. conservatives are buying the bullshit of penny wise, pound foolish.

cause they have 'real' truth.