Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Lois Frankel, Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (NSRP); Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee and Co-Chair of the Litigation and Rapid Response Task Force; and Gregory Meeks, Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, in conjunction with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Assistant Leader Joe Neguse, and the Litigation and Rapid Response Task Force, led an amicus brief joined by 202 House Democrats standing up to the blatant executive overreach and illegal dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by the Trump Administration in the matter of American Foreign Service Association, et al. v. Trump, et al.

As the House Leaders argued in their brief, the President’s directive blatantly violated Congress’s lawmaking and spending powers as explicitly outlined in Article I of the United States Constitution, by dismantling a federal agency authorized and repeatedly funded by acts of Congress. The unlawful shuttering of USAID undermines national security and causes irreparable harm to America’s global competitiveness.

“At less than one percent of our federal budget, U.S. foreign assistance strengthens national security, prevents pandemics, expands markets for American businesses and farmers, and promotes democracy worldwide,” said Ranking Member Frankel. “The Trump Administration’s reckless, secretive dismantling of USAID—without Congressional review or a public hearing, is dangerous and a violation of federal law that requires the involvement of Congress before any such moves.”

“Elon Musk didn’t establish USAID and he doesn’t have the power to destroy it,” said Ranking Member Raskin. “Trump and Musk’s lawless attempt to dismantle USAID is seriously dangerous. It would give free rein to authoritarian powers, like China and Russia, to spread their influence over the globe. For more than 40 years, USAID has stopped crises and epidemics from spreading to our shores by promoting stability and strong democracy around the world with humanitarian assistance, health programs and vaccines, water projects and economic development. House Democrats are joining the fight now to ensure Trump and Elon don’t plunge the world into more chaos and misery while trampling our Constitution.”

“Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s destruction and dismantling of USAID is not only disastrous foreign policy and counter to our national security interests; it is plainly illegal. Congress wrote a law establishing USAID as an independent agency with its own appropriation, and only Congress can eliminate it. I have met with USAID workers around the globe and they are patriotic, hardworking Americans promoting our interests abroad while aiding some of the most vulnerable people on this planet. I am honored to lead this brief and to stand with USAID workers,” said Ranking Member Meeks.

“Donald Trump and Elon Musk are unlawfully dismantling the United States Agency for International Development. Decimating this critical agency is morally corrupt, weakens our national security and is wildly inconsistent with the United States Constitution. USAID was authorized by Congress, and only Congress has the power to close it. I am grateful to Rep. Greg Meeks, Rep. Lois Frankel and the Litigation Working Group for their leadership intervening in this urgent matter. House Democrats will continue to forcefully and successfully push back against the illegal actions of the Trump administration,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

“House Democrats and the Litigation Task Force are working to vindicate the Constitution, and will not turn our heads to the Trump Administration’s illegal directives to gut agencies and programs proven to keep Americans safe. We will continue to ensure this president and this administration are held accountable to the rule of law,” said Assistant Leader Neguse.

The amici curiae are lawmakers well-versed in the drafting of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998—which established USAID as an independent agency—and the recent Appropriations Acts. Their brief asserts that USAID is required to be funded as provided by statute and states that any unilateral attempts to dismantle the agency, such as efforts to “feed[]USAID to the wood chipper” and “[c]lose it down,” are prohibited by Article I of the Constitution, as recently reaffirmed by the Continuing Resolution enacted by Congressional Republicans on March 15, 2025.

The shuttering of USAID, including placing thousands of workers on leave and halting nearly all congressionally approved foreign aid, undermines a critical component of the federal government responsible for global stability and American security. For nearly 40 years, USAID has played a central role in preventing crises, fostering economic opportunities abroad, and mitigating the conditions that contribute to violent extremism and instability. Scaling back its work not only weakens these efforts but also creates a vacuum for global competitors like China, Russia, and Iran to expand their influence.

For full text of the amicus brief, click here.

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