By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Trump administration official overseeing deep cuts to U.S. foreign aid programs briefed members of Congress on Wednesday, but offered little insight into how he is changing the country’s distribution of billions of dollars worth of international assistance, lawmakers said.
Pete Marocco, director of the State Department’s Office of Foreign Assistance and deputy administrator-designate at the U.S. Agency for International Development, took questions from Republican and Democratic members of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee for one hour behind closed doors, with members given 30 seconds each to ask their questions.
Afterward, Democratic committee members told reporters he failed to provide specifics on the sweeping review that President Donald Trump initiated on all U.S. foreign aid to ensure U.S. funding is in line with his “America First” policy. Marocco was also unable to give details on which specific programs were cut, lawmakers said.
“This is not transparent at all,” Representative Gregory Meeks, the committee’s ranking Democrat said, adding that Democrats were continuing to push for public hearings with administration officials.
“I think it’s clear that this is anything but an actual methodical review,” Representative Sara Jacobs told reporters.
Two sources who were in the room said Marocco said the administration had uncovered unspecified cases of waste, fraud and abuse and was considering filing criminal referrals with the U.S. Department of Justice.
They said he did not make clear whether the potential referrals would involve individuals from the U.S. Agency for International Development or outside organizations that received USAID grants.
A State Department spokesperson declined comment, citing department policy not to comment on communications and briefings with Congress. Marocco left the meeting from a side door without commenting to journalists.
Thousands of staff have been put on leave and contractors terminated at USAID since Trump began his second term in January, with Trump’s billionaire adviser Elon Musk leading a push to shrink the federal government.
Democratic members of Congress, and some of Trump’s fellow Republicans, have raised concerns that the foreign aid cuts could lead to hunger, illness and death around the globe, while also diminishing U.S. influence.
Critics also say it is illegal for the administration to freeze aid and cut USAID without notifying and consulting Congress.
Marocco met with the committee just after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could not withhold payment to foreign aid organizations for work they have already performed.
Lawmakers said Marocco did not indicate whether the administration would comply with that order.
Republican Representative Michael McCaul told reporters as he left the meeting that Marocco said the State Department was partly implementing waivers issued to make life-saving humanitarian assistance available. He did not elaborate.
A small group of protesters gathered outside the meeting, calling for aid to be unfrozen and holding signs with slogans including “Marocco lies, people with AIDS die.”
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; additional reporting by Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Humeyra Pamuk and Nick Zieminski)
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