Warning of 'Tragedy,' Former Feds Plead With Congress to Scrap Trump's Foreign Aid Freeze

A worker removes the U.S. Agency for International Development sign on their headquarters on Feb. 7, 2025 in Washington, DC.

A group of former government officials who served in national security and humanitarian positions have sent a letter to congressional leadership urging them to “take all steps” in their power to convince the Trump administration to stop its freeze of U.S. foreign assistance and the ongoing dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The scathing letter, which was provided to U.S. News, was sent Wednesday night and addressed to Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. It has more than 200 signatories, including former ambassadors, national security advisers and intelligence officials, as well as retired military leaders.

History will not look kindly on this avoidable tragedy – for the hundreds of millions in need, for U.S. leadership and moral authority around the world, and for U.S. national security, as global competitors like China and Russia rush to fill the gap we have created,” the former officials write. “It will be part of the legacy of this Congress if not reversed.”