U.S. Vice President Vance captured USAID’s vital role yesterday at the 2025 International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, D.C.: "The first Trump administration took critical steps to protect the rights of the faithful by rescuing pastors persecuted by foreign regimes or bringing relief to faith communities facing genocidal terror from ISIS."
These successes were possible due to USAID’s independence and field-based expertise.
Without swift action to preserve the agency, America risks losing its ability to deliver targeted, effective aid.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s first term introduced a bold vision for American foreign policy, emphasizing national interests while maintaining strategic global engagement.
As the Coordinator for International Religious Freedom, I witnessed how USAID’s independence in delivering foreign assistance was critical to advancing this vision.
Now, reckless actions from Secretary Marco Rubio’s U.S. State Department team threaten to fold USAID into a diplomatic bureaucracy ill-suited for development work.
The president and Congress must act quickly to preserve USAID’s autonomy and implement reforms ensuring faithful execution of the president's foreign policy.
Those reforms are:
Apply the Lessons of Your First Term
During the first term of Trump's presidency, religious liberty was a central pillar of U.S. foreign policy. The 2017 National Security Strategy recognized religious freedom as integral to U.S. national security, acknowledging that protecting religious minorities helps prevent instability and extremism.
President Trump demonstrated this priority by signing the Iraq and Syria Genocide Relief and Accountability Act (H.R. 390) in 2018. USAID led efforts through the Genocide Recovery and Persecution Response (GRPR) initiative to assist persecuted Christian and Yazidi communities in northern Iraq.
Under effective political leadership, USAID expanded partnerships with faith-based and local organizations through the 2019 New Partnerships Initiative (NPI), channeling resources to groups that understood local needs.
This targeted approach yielded effective programs aligning with the president’s directive, showcasing America’s generosity globally.
USAID’s success was possible due to its direct access to the White House, bypassing State Department budgetary control.
This collaboration culminated in Executive Order 13926 on religious freedom, signed in June 2020. The executive order mandated that USAID and the State Department prioritize religious freedom in their programs.
At the 2019 United Nations General Assembly, President Trump reaffirmed his commitment, "Protecting religious freedom is one of my highest priorities." USAID translated this vision into action, producing tangible impacts in the Mideast and beyond.
Target the Deep State Department
President Trump, despite USAID’s successes, obstacles arose from within the State Department.
U.S. ambassadors, as chiefs of mission, often acted as gatekeepers, delaying or blocking initiatives conflicting with their views or host government preferences.
During my tenure, four ambassadors in key countries obstructed USAID programs promoting religious freedom.
They refused to approve partnerships with faith-based groups, claiming they were politically sensitive. In reality, their decisions often reflected reluctance to challenge host governments rather than loyalty to the president’s policies.
This resistance hindered efforts to support persecuted communities and undercut broader foreign policy objectives.
These challenges highlight why integrating USAID into the State Department is problematic. Diplomats prioritize short-term political goals, while USAID’s mission demands long-term investments.
Folding USAID into State would smother its effectiveness under bureaucratic control and conflicting priorities.
Secretary Rubio’s team overlooks a key distinction: State excels at diplomacy but struggles with program implementation.
Unlike USAID, State lacks the procurement expertise and field experience to manage large-scale development projects.
Diplomats are ill-equipped to oversee complex programs involving infrastructure, education, and humanitarian relief.
A telling example: In May 2024, then-Sen. Rubio spoke at an International Republican Institute (IRI) event honoring exiled Catholic Bishop Rolando Álvarez for his advocacy for religious freedom in Nicaragua.
What Rubio likely didn’t know is that IRI’s work on religious freedom in Nicaragua was funded by USAID — a direct legacy of President Trump’s first-term reforms.
Ironically, this work was halted by a State Department-issued stop work order on USAID programs, canceling IRI’s planned participation in the same summit where Vice President Vance delivered remarks.
Reform and Align USAID, Don’t Destroy It
The solution for President Trump, is not to dismantle USAID but to reinvigorate its mission through targeted reforms, transparency, and strong leadership aligned with the president’s America First foreign policy. Secretary Rubio’s team is exploiting the President’s mandate to pursue their own power ambitions.
I could not have achieved our successes without dedicated civil servants and collaboration with the White House. The obstacles we faced stemmed from State Department stakeholders, including ambassadors who prioritized host government demands over U.S. policy.
Preserving USAID’s independence and protecting its workforce are essential to ensuring that U.S. foreign assistance programs remain effective and aligned with the president’s goals. Congress and the President must reject Secretary Rubio’s plan to absorb USAID into the State Department.
Instead, they should safeguard USAID’s independence and empower its leadership to implement the necessary reforms under the president’s executive orders.
With an empowered political team, USAID can continue delivering results that reflect American values and advance national interests.
Samah Alrayyes Norquist served as the chief adviser for International Religious Freedom to the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Addtionally, she oversaw USAID’s contributions to the implementation of President Trump’s exeutive order Advancing International Religious Freedom. A move which raised religious freedom protections globally.
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