March 04, 2025

Duckworth Secures Commitment from Trump’s State Department Nominee to Reimburse USAID-Funded, American Organizations for Their Work Before Stop Work Order

 

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—successfully secured a commitment from President Donald Trump’s nominee to serve as Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Michael Rigas, that if confirmed he will work to reimburse American-founded and run organizations for work done in December and January before Trump’s disastrous stop work order. During her remarks, Duckworth highlighted how organizations in Illinois and around the country have not been paid and are still owed tens of millions of dollars in reimbursements, forcing them to lay off staff or even consider bankruptcy as they endure this financial uncertainty. Some of these organizations reportedly were told by USAID that they will only be reimbursed if the Administration deems the expenses as legitimate. Duckworth’s full remarks at the SFRC hearing can be found on the Senator’s YouTube.

“Donald Trump’s illegal attacks on USAID have not only devastated lives and livelihoods around the world, but also severely harmed American-founded and American-run organizations here at home who conducted business as normal—and have still not been paid tens of millions of dollars that they are owed for their work,” said Duckworth. “Failing to reimburse this work is forcing these organizations to make impossible decisions—whether laying off staff or considering bankruptcy. The Trump Administration must hold themselves accountable for the chaos they’ve unleashed by dismantling USAID and—at a bare minimum—reimburse organizations for the work they did before the stop work order.”

Duckworth has repeatedly called out President Donald Trump and his Administration’s illegal attack on USAID. Last month, Duckworth led her fellow SFRC Democratic colleagues in demanding immediate answers from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on how much it will cost American taxpayers to pull USAID workers off the job overseas and relocate them back to the United States. Duckworth also spoke out against Trump’s ongoing illegal power grabs—including the shuttering of USAID—on the Senate floor as part of Senate Democrats’ 30-hour protest opposing Project 2025 architect Russell Vought’s nomination to serve as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). As a result of Trump’s ongoing lawlessness, Duckworth also announced that she will be a blanket-no on all remaining top-level cabinet nominees.

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