Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican who would prefer no label, is once again speaking out against the Trump administration, this time over its efforts to dismantle USAID. Writing Thursday on X, the Alaska senator said she'd met this week with USAID employees from her state, who described "the confusing and callous handling of personnel matters" by the Office of Personal Management and Department of Government Efficiency, per the Hill. Elon Musk, the billionaire Trump adviser leading DOGE efforts to slash government programs, had accused USAID of criminal activity without evidence.
Thousands of workers have since been fired or placed on leave and foreign aid has been frozen. The employees Murkowski spoke with "also painted an incredibly troubling picture of what the world looks like without humanitarian assistance from the United States," the senator wrote, stressing that "USAID's mission to keep people healthy and safe in even the most remote corners of the world should not be eliminated."
Last month, Murkowski said the abrupt firing of government employees "will do more harm than good, stunting opportunities in Alaska and leaving holes in our communities." The crucial swing vote also called for controls "to ensure that the sensitive data of Americans is secure" as DOGE works its way through federal agencies. Though her criticism of the Trump administration is "like a flare climbing into the stormy sky above our stressed ship of state ... a sign of help from just one is not enough," writes Art Petersen at the Alaska Beacon. "The great ship is taking on water and could be in danger of sinking." (More Lisa Murkowski stories.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
