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Peter Welch: “USAID was established by an act of Congress more than 25…”

Featuring: Peter Welch, Democratic | U.S. Senate, Vermont

Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID

Published February 4, 2025 | Video Starts at 09:25

Because anything we can do to make what we have work better, we all have an obligation to do our part. But USAID was established by an act of Congress more than 25 years ago. And constitutionally, no president and no unelected billionaire can unlawfully shut a congressionally authorized agency down. There's no authority to do that. (09:25–09:30)

CLAIM

Asserts that USAID was established by Congress over 25 years ago.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Peter Welch

“Political operatives in the administration of President Trump and Elon Musk plan to destroy the professional workforce in executive…”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 00:00-00:20
“Inspector generals and career civil servants are being summarily removed without any due process.”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 00:31-00:48
“Musk approved partisans with little government experience are replacing [removed civil servants].”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 00:54-01:06
“On top of Mr. Musk's list of agencies to eliminate in the US is the US Agency for International Development.”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 01:12-01:22
“USAID has a relatively small budget, less than 1% of the total federal budget.”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 01:36-01:43
“USAID supports humanitarian, economic development, and governance programs in more than 100 countries.”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 01:43-01:55
“Elon Musk called USAID a criminal organization.”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 02:24-02:29
“Dozens of USAID's dedicated senior officials, including the Office of General Counsel, were purged.”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 02:29-02:37
“In 2022, [Musk's] company, Starlink, received millions of dollars from USAID for Starlink's operation in Ukraine.”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 03:28-03:38
“Fully 1 billion people in the world live on less than a dollar a day.”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 04:55-05:03
“USAID works with local governments and organizations to protect forests in South and Central America, Central Africa, and Indonesia.”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 05:58-06:14
“USAID works to protect marine ecosystems and support the reduction of fossil fuels, carbon emissions, and reduce plastic waste.”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 06:36-06:49
“No president and no unelected billionaire can unlawfully shut a congressionally authorized agency down.”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 09:32-09:42
“Eliminating the USAID would make no dent in [the national debt] at all.”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 10:26-10:26
“Diplomacy is the job of the State Department. It's not the same as development, which is what the USAID does.”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 10:51-11:00
“USAID previously had always received bipartisan support.”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 13:26-13:32
“To defending the interests of the United States and presenting a positive face of America in some of the world's most dangerous places.”
Welch Speaks on the Senate Floor on Elon Musk’s Takeover of USAID | Uploaded February 4, 2025 | 14:08-14:18