Former US Ambassador to Kosovo: Trump's Dissolution of USAID Harms US Interests and Is a Gift to Our Competitors

Former US Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, has said that the Donald Trump administration's attempt to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID) harms US strategic interests, damages its international standing, increases the risk to the world's most vulnerable populations, and unfairly harms loyal and nonpartisan public servants, he wrote in an opinion piece for bellinghamherald.

I should have known – until six weeks ago, I was the US ambassador to Kosovo – a country that was expecting a major USAID mission, reports the Telegraph.

Our USAID colleagues were an integral and essential part of the interagency “Country Team” that I led, supporting our strategic efforts to promote stability and prosperity in an uncertain corner of Europe.

USAID is a valuable tool of American foreign policy. At less than 1 percent of the federal budget, the work of our USAID colleagues is a bargain for America. The return on investment is great with successes such as:

Partnering with our military to fight ISIS in Syria

Contains emerging health threats like Ebola worldwide

Reducing illegal immigration by improving conditions in other countries

Competing with China for economic influence

Advancing security and stability in former war-torn regions like Kosovo.

Reducing or eliminating USAID programs and staff is a gift to our competitors. China’s development investments worldwide have increased by 525 percent over the past 15 years; withdrawing U.S. development programs and staff reduces our influence and ability to respond effectively to developments in key strategic regions.

The Trump administration's sudden decision to pull nearly all USAID employees overseas unfairly punishes dedicated public servants who faithfully implement U.S. policies and Congressionally approved programs, often working in high-threat environments around the world at great personal risk.

USAID employees are patriots who implement the policies of the president and his national security team. They work for every president regardless of party or political affiliation. This reckless decision is creating chaos, sowing fear, and disrupting many lives and careers, and negatively impacting families.

Likewise, the cost to American taxpayers of this sudden and disorganized departure is not insignificant: a very low estimate of the cost of repatriating 1400 USAID employees and their families is $20 million.

As a recent statement by a bipartisan group of five former USAID administrators who led the agency under both Democratic and Republican presidents asserted: “weakening and even destroying the agency is in the best interest of no political party and to the detriment of all Americans. While we do not agree on all issues, we wholeheartedly agree that USAID and America’s foreign assistance programs are vital to our interests, that the men and women of USAID have served each of us well, and that it is incumbent on the administration and Congress to swiftly protect the agency’s statutory role.”

This Trump administration's attempt to dismantle USAID harms priority U.S. interests, denies life-saving assistance, and mistreats loyal U.S. public servants.

Jeff Hovenier, a native of Bellingham, recently retired after 34 years with the U.S. Foreign Service. His last assignment was as U.S. ambassador to Kosovo. He resides in Bellingham. /Telegraph/