The poor of the world are cared for via the USAID programs - HIV-Aids, Maternal Child health programs/vaccinations for children, Ebola programs have stopped because the aid workers have been fired - thousands may die. If writing to your Congressperson about domestic program cuts, also mention the suffering and deaths that will occur with the cutoff of humanitarian programs. This policy will lead to thousands of deaths. The bishops should tell all of the Catholics involved not to present themselves for communion.
Musk’s minions came into the USAID offices and took all the photos in the offices and hallways out of the frames. The photos were of children receiving medical care, mothers and children ( Maternal/Child health ), health clinics where AIDS/HIV meds were dispensed, including those to protect a child in the birth canal from being born with HIV from an infected mother, vaccines, etc, etc. Since there was no warning or time for an organized shut- down of the projects, they had no time to secure medical supplies and medications. It is likely that the remaining staff of local employees will be unable to prevent the theft of the supplies and medication and that they will be sold on the black market.
Trump has shut down funds for all international humanitarian work. Thousands of humanitarian aid experts are now out of work, having received stop work orders, including our friend who has been doing health work in poor countries for 24 years. Everyone she knows at different international NGOs has been fired with no severance pay. Jesuit Refugee Services overseas as well as Catholic Relief Services are no longer receiving funding from USAID.
A close friend of hers in NC runs a small project. She is from overseas but has lived in the US for 25 years, working on USAID funded humanitarian projects. Once she closes everything in NC she plans to move back to her home country. The US is no longer the country she came to - the values and programs that attracted her to come here are being systematically destroyed.
The US provides the most aid in monetary terms ( we have the biggest economy) but we contribute less than other countries as a percentage of GDP. Less than 1 %. Frequently less than 1/2%. A recent Brookings article explains it.
My weekly letter to my congressional reps was about Musk moving into the OPM. He has no authority to do anything. Anything he does do is trespass and tampering with gov property and functions. This should be a bipartisan issue. My letter:
ReplyDeleteDear Sen. Peters, Sen. Slotkin, and Rep. Barrett:
Please direct police officers to remove Elon Musk and/or his aides from the Office of Personnel Management immediately, and revoke their access to OPM databases.
The Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) is a fictional entity with no budget from Congress. Elon Musk, as its head, has not been duly appointed through an advise-and-consent hearing, and neither he nor his people have security clearances to access sensitive federal files. Their presence (including sofa beds, see Reuters, “Musk aides lock Office of Personnel Management workers out of computer systems” by Tim Reid, Feb. 1, 2025) constitute trespass on government property and tampering with official governmental functions.
Evict them immediately.
I accept that Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election. I accept that he has the right to appoint, with the consent of the Senate, any nut job to head federal agencies and to serve in his cabinet. I accept that he has the right to privately seek advice from any drug-addled individual in his family or circle of friends.
But I do not accept that Donald Trump has any right to circumvent constitutional channels, to institute new governmental departments without a vote of Congress, or to claim any jurisdiction over legitimate government employees thereby rendering them incapable of doing the jobs that my tax dollars pay them to do.
Your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated, and I request the favor of a reply about this specific situation from your office.
Very sincerely etc.
Great letter. I might copy it. Our senators and most representatives are Dems, but I’ll send it to them as well as the few that represent Marylands MAGA districts ( rural, of course)
DeleteThey Musks minions also wanted access to the Treasury Depts data bases too. When that was denied by the acting Sec of Treasury (until the new guy was appointed), he resigned from the govt.
The WSJ has pretty well documented Musk's use of LSD, mushrooms, marijuana, and ketamine for depression and recreation. He certainly hasn't made a secret of his drug use nor of his being on the autism spectrum. Taking photos of children and others receiving US assistance out of the picture frames seems pretty much on par with the dead-eyed reptiles he and his associates aspire to be.
DeleteThe Musk thing bothers me more than almost anything else that the new administration has come up with in the past two weeks. He has not been elected to anything, nor has he been nominated to any post requiring Senate approval. So why is he allowed access to sensitive information, and why does he have the freedom to fire anybody?
DeleteIt's beyond me. If I went to the OPM, set up a cot, said I would be there 24/7, give me your passwords, and started sending emails offering job buyouts, I'd be in jail in 20 minutes. That's where Musk and his friends need to be.
DeleteAnne, the situation you describe is beyond disturbing.
ReplyDeleteNow the website of USAID has been taken down.
Deletehttps://apnews.com/article/usaid-website-offline-trump-foreign-funding-freeze-9d2ecdaff5c74a9f6b0d6096fa2228ff
Anne, these pictures are very powerful symbols. Has your daughter-in-law posted these on social media? Was this USAID’s headquarters in DC? Could I use these pictures? I won’t do it unless I got clearance from you and your DiL. I would like to post it on my accounts on FB and Substack and TikTok but I need to get the story straight.
DeleteI, of course, would not reveal my source.
DeleteAnd before I posted, I would present draft to you for approval.
DeleteIf your DiL already posted somewhere, I would just need a link.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteBTW, Stanley, Doctors Without Borders works in Gaza as well as in other countries and receives no government funding. It’s based in Switzerland.
DeletePeople need to stop being afraid and get mad. I guess that's what bugged me about Bishop Budde's sermon: Trump loves to hear that people are afraid. That's how he maintains control. "You're scaring people" is just gonna make him do it more until they go so far into their burrow that they smother. Only thing that works with him is to scare him back.
DeleteThanks, Anne. These pictures are powerful should be made public. I would just say where, what and when without attribution. Like I said, I’d run it past you and your friend. They definitely should get out there somehow. If I can do it, I will. I guess the nazis can eventually take my pension away in retaliation but I don’t really care. They’ll probably eventually do it anyway.
DeletePlease don’t share them. My friend is worried and I probably shouldn’t have posted them here without skiing her first. It’s too bad because they tell a powerful story. Thanks
DeleteYou got it, Anne. No problem. I won’t share. Don’t worry. It’s obvious we’re dealing with nazis. I always was fascinated with WWII movies. I guess I’m in one now.
DeleteStanley, Sophie does not want the photos shared. I should take them down here too.
ReplyDeleteBishop Budde is not afraid of trump. She was politely sharing a gospel message that the male bishops in the RCC are afraid to share. She spoke out too after he took over St John’s for a phony photo op.
https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-us-news-ap-top-news-mn-state-wire-politics-09f54acd0aadf861ea3aadc5b79c0fd8#
Security guards at USAID tried to keep Musk out. They are now on leave. Musk Tweets reported in WaPo:
ReplyDeleteOn Sunday, Musk repeatedly attacked USAID on X, calling the long-standing government agency “evil” and a “viper’s nest of radical-left marxists who hate America.”
“USAID is a criminal organization,” he added. “Time for it to die.”
How in hell can he gain access to and kill an agency funded by Congress? I don't get it. The man has some tech engineering skills (tho apparently not of rocket science caliber) and now he thinks he's a genius at social engineering. He must be stopped.
DeleteHe is a huge threat to our country but I’m not sure how he can be stopped short of Republicans in Congress deciding that he’s a threat to them - a greater threat than his threats to fund primary opponents.
DeleteWash Post is following the story and updating it for anybody not paywalled.
DeleteDOGE threatened to call US marshals. Why did USAID security back down?USAID are duly appointed govt employees with a congressional mandate, security clearance, and budget to complete specific jobs. DOGE is not. Why wouldn't marshals have kicked DOGE out?
Democrats are demanding to meet about all this tomorrow. Oooh, that's scary. Not.
Meantime Musk is busy downloading God knows what and can peddle it around the world to God knows who. Is this how secure our govt data is?
How are DOGE apparatchiks any diff from the Jan6ers?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/02/02/usaid-trump-musk/
Nazis with the internet and AI. It’s gonna be fun. May have to give up the internet, GPS, Ring Doorbell and the rest.
DeleteThe people who work for USAID projects aren’t seeking wealth and power.They are motivated to help others. This is not something that Musk or trump or any of trumps billionaires would begin to understand. Just as they wouldn’t understand someone like Warren Buffet, a billionaire who has donated the bulk of his fortune to a humanitarian non- profit.
DeleteThey’ve closed down USAID, they’ve taken over the data bases of the Treasury Dept with access to the financial information of every citizen and business, they are purging the FBI and DOJ of everyone not a “ loyalist”. Etc. Jan 6 was an attempted coup by violence. This one is another coup and it looks like it’s going to work, turning over our country to unelected billionaires - an oligarchy. I recommend following this infolding destruction of our country by reading Heather Cox Richardson’s blog. Even if someone stops the takeover of our data bases it’s too late - I’m quite sure that Musks minions have created copies of all important financial and classified data already.
ReplyDeleteYes, too late. Musk and co have likely downloaded everything they can get their hands on and will sell it to the highest bidder in Moscow, Beijing, or Tehran with Trump getting his cut of the action.
DeletePresidential emergency orders got out of hand with Obama, and now the prez can form his own tech thug squad to pose as a gov agency and do whatever they want. The Dems in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are writing protest letters. Pfft.
Only a military counter-coup will stop this now. And the fallout from that could be catastrophic as well.
The American people show little outrage at trump allowing Musk to run the govt. Apparently there was some backlash when they heard Medicaid might be shut off. Red states use more govt services like Medicaid than blue states . Maybe the concern that their own benefits might be cut off aroused some of the “ base” from their apathy. The shutdown of humanitarian aid, the shutdown of USAID completely seem to concern few. Even the take over of Treasury data bases has not shocked Americans out of their apathy. If too few Americans care then there is no avoiding the death of our democratic republic and a take- over by right- wing oligarchs. Musk is apparently not content to be the richest man in the world. He wants to be the most powerful man in the world too. Since he’s succeeded so far in the US he will continue up to pursue his efforts to take over the major
ReplyDeleteI support some USAID initiatives, but for me the larger issue is Trump using an unauthorized force, DOGE, to circumvent Congress. Homeland Security cops have now secured the facility, employees have been sent home, and it's dead.
DeletePublic Citizen filed a lawsuit against DOGE as soon as Trump was sworn in. But it's Web site has no new news on where that is.
Guessing that Musk-Trump will work faster than the courts, so lots of damage done even if that lawsuit is ultimately successful.
Here is the Public Citizen lawsuit release: https://www.citizen.org/news/public-citizen-sddf-and-afge-sue-trump-administration-over-doge/
DeleteAnd here is the letter that Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sent to Sec Rubio: https://www.foreign.senate.gov/press/dem/release/ranking-member-shaheen-and-foreign-relations-committee-democrats-to-secretary-rubio-unauthorized-access-of-usaid-and-dismissal-of-personnel-compromises-our-national-security
DeleteNow Trump is getting revenge on the Kennedy Center, firing the Board and naming himself Chairman. Getting ready to cut off grants to PBS and NPR.
DeleteJean, if funding abortion is what you don’t like about USAID they can easily cut that off as Bush did. In the meantime, if anyone can co tribute to Catholic Relief Services right now every small donation will help. They don’t have any projects related to abortion or contraception.
DeleteI didn't mean to imply that I didn't like USAID, nor am I any kind of anti-abortion crusader.
DeleteI am simply trying not to fixate on the demise of one operation or agency. They are all in trouble.
Americans often, it seems to me, care more about the poor in foreign countries than the poor here. But that's not a reason for pulling funding from USAID.
I give what would go to the Church to UNICEF and NPR, and have done for a few years.
Jean, you are right, all agencies that get any government help are in trouble. The latest rumor is that DOGE is going to go after the Red Cross. My guess is that not all Trump voters thought he would go after the Red Cross or the other agencies that they like. But no one was reckoning on how deeply Musk was going to get involved. I thought it was probably going to take awhile for DOGE to get off the ground. I was wrong. They brought out the worst stuff, first rattle out of the box.
DeleteLots of things going on in the courts attempting to limit Musk-Trump, and hopefully some will stick. Musk and Michael Flynn have called Catholic and Lutheran migrant programs "money laundering operations." My guess is that MAGAs in those denominations agree and are already shutting down those programs in their parishes.
DeleteJim, what are your thoughts about all of this.?
ReplyDeleteI thought I had responded to this but maybe I forgot to hit Publish.
DeleteI am one of those conservative-ish types who worries about the enormous federal debt, so conceptually I am in favor of a concerted effort to shake up the status quo of spending funded by still more debt. But there are various aspects of the Trump / Musk efforts that are problematic. Jean raised a good example in one of these threads: stopping Ag Dept. payments is screwing farmers who spent large sums in good faith that the government would reimburse them. Probably a court will side with the farmers, but it sucks that the farmers will have to go to the trouble and expense of suing - and now there are rumblings from Vance and Musk that the administration will defy courts.
I expect many of these federal departments are overdue for a gimlet-eyed review of expenditures. I understand DoD is on Musk's hit list; I would think there are a lot of opportunities to cut waste there. But don't screw the soldiers and veterans.
USAID is politically unpopular, so I expect Trump and Musk could get away with a significant downsizing, if they can manage to do it without breaking the law.
I have no problem with the "packages" being offered federal employees.
I tend toward fiscal conservatism, but my problem with Republicans is that their approach to cuts does not make programs more efficient, consolidate duplication of effort, or eliminate waste.
DeleteI don't think anyone here has ever tried to apply for "assistance," but I will say that getting our monthly $25 worth of food stamps takes Raber several hours of filling out confusing forms and a phone interview. He has to do this every six months.
A friend tried to get his mentally ill brother into senior housing but gave up because the application was too complicated and convoluted.
Republican cuts like the ones Musk is engineering basically just fire the bureaucrats and reduce the benefit amounts. That creates bottlenecks in assistance programs and reduces the number of people who qualify. Doesn't mean there's less hunger and poverty, just more people putting groceries on credit cards or buying the $1-per-slice pizza at the gas station.
Tax cuts for Big Biz and caps on the amount of income that can be taxed, those are sacrosanct, even tho that is also assistance that could free up money.
P.S., I do not give a rat's ass about the Kennedy Center.
Delete