{"id":164201,"date":"2025-02-07T16:03:44","date_gmt":"2025-02-07T16:03:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.one.org\/us\/?page_id=164201"},"modified":"2025-02-28T21:59:20","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T21:59:20","slug":"foreign-assistance-pause-faq","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.one.org\/us\/what-we-do\/the-issues\/foreign-assistance-pause-faq\/","title":{"rendered":"Foreign Assistance Pause FAQ"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The issues<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foreign Assistance Pause FAQ<\/h2>\n\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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To help explain the recent and ongoing foreign assistance pause, the ONE Campaign has compiled answers to several of the most frequently asked questions.\u00a0Last updated Feb. 20, 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did we get here?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

On January 20th, the administration issued an executive order<\/a> (EO) pausing \u201cforeign development assistance\u201d while the State Department completes a 90-day review process. It also granted the Secretary of State authority to waive that pause for particular programs.\u202fOn January 24th, the State Department issued initial implementation guidance<\/a> that went beyond the EO and halted nearly all U.S. foreign assistance, only exempting emergency food aid and foreign military financing to Egypt and Israel.

On February 3rd Secretary Rubio announced his appointment as acting Administrator for USAID. He then delegated his authority over USAID to Peter Marocco, the new administration\u2019s Director of Foreign Assistance at the State Department. Although he is not Senate-confirmed, Marocco is overseeing the review and waiver process, as well as USAID\u2019s consolidation within the State Department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What programs and activities are frozen?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

On January 28th, USAID issued additional implementation guidance<\/a> directing all USAID implementing partners to immediately pause all USAID program-funded activities and refrain from further expenditures of USAID funding until further notice. It also stated that the freeze remains in effect until an implementer receives formal notification from their Contracting Officer (CO) or Award Officer (AO) that all or part of their grant is covered by a waiver.

On February 13th, a federal judge granted a Temporary Restraining Order<\/a> (TRO) blocking the administration (1) from enforcing its blanket suspension\/pause of appropriated funds for foreign assistance contracts, grants, and awards in place as of Jan. 19, and (2) from implementing or enforcing related terminations, suspensions, and stop-work orders. However, the effect of the (TRO) \u2013 which did not prohibit the administration \u201cfrom enforcing the terms of the contracts and grants\u201d \u2013 remains unclear. The administration has since claimed that \u201csubstantially all of the terminations, suspensions, and stop-work orders\u201d were allowed by the express or implicit terms of the individual contracts and grants, and so are not barred by the TRO.

See also: Interactive Chart of Assistance Impacted by the Pause<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Didn\u2019t Secretary Rubio issue waivers?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Yes, but they are not being implemented as intended (more on that below). The initial \u201cstop-work order\u201d issued on January 24th exempted<\/a> \u201cemergency food assistance\u201d and foreign military financing for Egypt and Israel. Subsequently, on January 28th, Secretary of State Rubio signed an Emergency Humanitarian Waiver<\/a> exempting \u201clife-saving humanitarian assistance\u201d from the foreign assistance pause, which was intended to include \u201ccore life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs as necessary to deliver such assistance.\u201d However, the waiver is vague, leaving many implementers unsure of which programs and activities can resume operations.

There had also been intense speculation and confusion over whether PEPFAR\u2019s activities \u2013 many of which were paused \u2013 were included in this waiver. On February 1st, PEPFAR received a limited waiver<\/a> and could resume operations for specific activities only. These activities include: HIV care and treatment services, including antiretroviral medications and prevention services critical to keeping patients healthy, treatment to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, and reasonable administrative costs necessary to deliver this assistance. All other activities under PEPFAR by implementing partners are to remain paused until further guidance is issued.\u202f

On February 6th, the State Department issued implementation guidance<\/a> on the limited waiver received by PEPFAR on February 1st. The guidance allows for the continuation of HIV testing, care, and treatment for all people living with HIV (PLHIV), laboratory support, supply chain management, and limited activities for PLHIV at risk of tuberculosis. However, it excludes important prevention and key population programming, stating \u201cpeople other than pregnant and breastfeeding women who may be at high risk of HIV infection or were previously initiated on a PrEP option cannot be offered PEPFAR-funded PrEP during this pause.\u201d Under this waiver, key prevention services are halted, unless one is pregnant or breastfeeding, risking further spread of HIV due to lack of access. Updated guidance<\/a> released shortly after encourages implementing agencies to \u201ctake necessary actions to expedite resumption of these services.\u201d

As of February 9th<\/sup>, a survey<\/a> of 65 PEPFAR implementers noted that only 5% of organizations have been told they may resume services, with 70% of respondents not having received any official communication of the waiver applying to their activities. Additionally, 36% of PEPFAR-funded providers who were surveyed<\/a> reported that they have completely shut down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why haven\u2019t waivers been implemented?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The process is not working. Implementing partners have been unable to access obligated funds and in many cases are still owed substantial sums of money for work done before the stop work orders were issued. This means that even organizations whose work would be covered by a waiver cannot resume work.

Reports on the ground suggest that stop-work-orders are still in place for many lifesaving activities and programs, notwithstanding the announced waiver. While the PEPFAR waiver provides reasonably clear guidance on which activities can resume, the Secretary\u2019s previous Emergency Humanitarian Waiver<\/a> is vague. The waiver included a broad list of interventions that can be funded, like \u201cmedical services, food, shelter, and subsistent assistance.\u201d

However, many implementers have been unable to secure the required formal notification from their contract officers that their activity is covered by the waiver, and with recent changes to USAID it is unclear how many COs and AOs remain on duty, or who at the State Department has assumed the responsibility to make such determinations.\u202fIn recent weeks, USAID\u2019s headquarters has been closed, thousands of its personnel have been furloughed, its online content has been removed from the Internet, and its overseas personnel have been left in limbo, waiting to see whether they will be directed to return to the United States. Without specific notification that contracts or activities fall under the administration\u2019s interpretation of \u201clife-saving humanitarian assistance,\u201d implementers cannot resume operations.  

A previous announcement on the USAID website stated that all USAID direct hire personnel \u2013 including those overseas \u2013 would be placed on administrative leave on February 7th. Hours before that decision went into effect, a judge temporarily blocked the administration from placing the 2,200 USAID personnel on leave and reinstated an additional 500 USAID staff that were already placed on administrative leave prior to the February 7th decision. The temporary restraining order<\/a> remains in place until Friday, February 21st. However, given staff reductions and the persistent lack of clarity about the waiver process, a recent USAID Inspector General report<\/a> notes that the court order \u201cdoes not obviate\u2026 concerns regarding the capacity of Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance staff to work with implementing partners to protect and distribute humanitarian assistance commodities and conduct vital oversight of taxpayer-funded program.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How has the pause impacted American workers and organizations?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The pause has placed intense financial pressure on the organizations \u2013 many U.S. based \u2013 tasked with implementing U.S. foreign assistance. Organizations are unable to access obligated funds or payment for work done before the stop work orders were issued, meaning they do not have the capital to sustain operations. As a result, these organizations cannot pay local partners and other subcontractors who play a critical role in delivering lifesaving assistance and strengthening American goodwill in the local communities where they work. To date:<\/p>\n\n\n\n