President Donald Trump has appointed State Secretary Marco Rubio as acting administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
In a media note, the Office of the Spokesperson said that the appointment was an initiative toward “gaining control and better understanding over the agency’s activity.”
According to the office, significant portions of USAID funding no longer align with the country’s core national interests.
Rubio informed Congress of plans as acting USAID secretary to review USAID’s foreign assistance activities and potentially reorganize the agency.
About Secretary Rubio
Rubio was nominated by President Trump in November 2024 and confirmed by the Senate as the secretary of state with a vote of 99-0 in January, hours after President Trump was sworn into office.
He served as a senator representing the state of Florida from 2011 until his confirmation as state secretary.
During his tenure as senator, Rubio held several positions in different committees, including senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
He wrote the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and co-authored the Hong Kong Relations Act and the VERDAD Act.