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President Donald Trump’s efforts to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development could cause hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths. There will be loss of nutrition, water, sanitation and health care programs.
Diseases such as malaria, polio, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis will likely increase. These diseases could spread to the U.S. and cause deaths here, since diseases do not respect boundaries. Many countries depend on the $40 billion from USAID for these lifesaving programs, especially low-income women, children and the elderly. Millions will suffer around the world.
An example is that Trump cut the $37 million per year to Medical Care Development for Global Health, based in Hallowell, with 195 employees who helped three countries. This charity has a three-star rating on Charity Navigator.
The USAID shutdown “likely violated the United States Constitution,” per federal judge Theodore Chuang. The judge blocked further shutting down of USAID. The two alleged violations of the Constitution are that Trump asked Elon Musk to shut down USAID permanently, but only Congress has the power to close an agency and that Musk has not been officially nominated to a government job or confirmed by the Senate.
I strongly urge you to contact your congressional representatives — Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. Angus King, and Rep. Jared Golden — to stand up for resuming funding to USAID. It is cruel and inhumane that this money could be used by our Republican-controlled Congress to reduce taxes for the rich instead.
Kathryn Bourgoin
Orono
