The Catholic News Agency reported on Jan. 31 that U.S. bishops have asked Catholics to reach out to their members of Congress and request the resumption of foreign aid programs following the Trump-Vance administration’s decision to temporarily pause funding for many programs, including those provided by Catholic Relief Services, pending review.
The pause has been proposed by the United States Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is led by billionaire Elon Musk and is an unelected bureaucrat.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) receives public and private funding, including USAID assistance. I’ve been to CRS aid and development projects in five countries.
In Kenya, I witnessed peacemaking projects involving rival tribes living in a Nairobi slum and visited a hospital on the outskirts of the city that provides life-saving HIV/AIDS care, which is supported by CRS.
In Ecuador, I learned about Fair-Trade, which is an alternative to dangerous flower-farming practices supported by CRS.
In Haiti, I visited the site of a key hospital’s reconstruction following the 2010 earthquake, as well as the construction of a recreation space to promote community building, which was supported by CRS.
In Palestine, I visited a Fair Trade olive wood workshop, bought embroidered textiles from a women’s group, and shopped at the Holy Land Handicraft Cooperative in Beit Sahur, which is supported by CRS.
In Rwanda, I met women, including genocide widows, who were learning new ways to grow more nutritious sweet potatoes more efficiently. They grew enough for their families and were able to sell the excess to a local processing plant that produced flour, oils, and other value-added goods, which was supported by CRS.
CRS has provided me with life-giving training, support, and a deep respect for everyone’s human dignity. (In five countries on three continents, I didn’t come across a single “radical lunatic.”)
Lois Harr is a Bronx resident, a lifelong activist, and the former director of campus ministry and social services at Manhattan University.
Editor’s Note: US President Donald Trump has appointed Elon Musk as a “special government employee” to lead DOGE. On February 20, US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) wrote to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, demanding answers about the legality of Musk’s appointment as head of DOGE.
“Although the White House has asserted that Musk is a ‘special government employee,’ we have seen no evidence that he is complying with the procedures and rules that ordinarily apply to such employees,” a White House spokesperson stated.
“In addition, the nature and scope of his authority suggests he is not properly a special government employee but is instead a principal officer who requires Senate confirmation under the Appointments Clause.”
Special government employees, according to Whitehouse, must follow federal financial disclosure regulations as well as criminal conflict-of-interest statutes.
He stated that officers who exercise significant authority and do not report to a Senate-confirmed superior require Senate confirmation under the Appointments Clause, which means they cannot be appointed by the President unilaterally. They, too, must follow federal financial disclosure rules and criminal conflict-of-interest laws.
According to federal data analysed by The Independent, the US government has promised or awarded nearly $21 billion to Musk’s companies since 2008, with an additional $76.7 million promised to Musk as of February 17.
White House officials have repeatedly defended Musk’s appointment, arguing that the role can be independently authorised using presidential powers.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, governments have numerous tools at their disposal for expanding their influence. They can exercise “hard power,” which includes military force and economic sanctions. However, countries can also use music, food, sports, and other cultural exports to boost their international reputation.
These tools, known as “soft power,” can help a country attract potential partners. To strengthen their soft power, governments frequently send money, goods, and services to other countries to further their interests. Foreign aid usually comes with conditions.
Samantha Power, the former Administrator of USAID during the Biden administration who also worked for the Obama administration, explains how this works during a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
