ELECTION ISSUE: FOREIGN AID

 

USAID closure will hurt Florida – and America 

"Your Turn"

Michael Boorstein

Guest Columnist

Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Published: July 8, 2025

 

On July 1, the White House announced the closure of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Created by Congress in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy, USAID had long served as a key pillar of American diplomacy and soft power. Its dissolution – which was not formally approved by Congress – barely registered with most Americans.  But for those of us who spent our lives representing the United States abroad, it was a devastating day.

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I served for 35 years as a foreign service officer, with postings across the globe.  One of them was  in Kinshasa -- the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo -- where USAID quietly helped transform communities. It partnered with local organizations to train election monitors, educate voters, and support democratic movements. These efforts weren’t imposed from Washington; rather they were locally driven and backed by American partnership. They also served U.S. interests: promoting democratic governance abroad reduces conflict, fosters stability and builds trust. These efforts made Americans safer – and our nation  more respected.

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Our daughter, raised overseas, worked at USAID in Washington, supporting missions in Europe and Eurasia, including Ukraine. She, like thousands of American professionals, contractors, and local staff,  lost a  job she loved. Her personal loss is part of a broader  national setback—one that undermines our security, economy and global leadership.

USAID was never a charity; it was a strategic tool off U.S. foreign policy.  As diplomats, we advanced American ideals, and  USAID provided the resources and expertise to make these ideals real through grants, training, and technical support.

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It partnered  hundreds of nonprofit organizations, including many  faith-based groups. It earned  trust, open doors and built lasting goodwill.

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By 2023, USAID had become one of the world’s largest aid organizations, operating in over 100 countries.  It addressed urgent global challenges: HIV/AIDS, food insecurity,  education, agriculture, disaster response and  democratic reform. . Its  $40 billion annual budget represented less than 1% of the federal budget, (costing the American about 18 cents per day according to UCLA researchers).

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The consequences of its closure are already being felt. Food insecurity is rising. Maternal and child health systems are collapsing. Emergency responses in war zones – from Ukraine and Sudan to Gaza and Syria – are faltering.

 

And while the United States retreats, others – particularly China—are stepping in to fill the void.

 

Since USAID began winding down earlier this year, an estimated 308,000 people have died -- 208,000 of them children. According to The Lancet, over the next five years 14 million deaths could occur due to lost  services, including 4.5 million children under age 5. 

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Health care disruptions alone may lead to 2.4 million preventable deaths annually.

 

Critics claim USAID was bloated or ideologically biased. For example, U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, of Sarasota, supported the abolition of the USAID: he said the agency was out of step with an  “America First” agenda. That view hurts America – and Florida. 

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For more than six decades, USAID had bipartisan support.  Democratic and Republican presidents alike recognized that foreign assistance advanced both American values and national interests. 

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Its closure  isn’t just a foreign policy misstep; it’s an economic blow to our state. Florida stands to lose thousands of jobs, millions of dollars in agricultural contracts, and vital nonprofit partnerships linked  to international development. These impacts are already rippling  through  communities tied to research, education and innovation.

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As someone who  spent  a career strengthening America’s global reputation, I fear the damage we have done by walking away. We’ve opened the door to instability, migration, disease, and  extremism – threats that don’t stay overseas. 

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USAID was an investment in a safer world, and one far cheaper that military engagement. Abandoning it signals a retreat from American  leadership and moral authority. 

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It tells the world that we  no longer show up—until it’s too late.

 

Sarasota may feel far from the front lines of global diplomacy, but we are not immune to its consequences. And we are not powerless. Let us raise our voices. Let’s remind our elected leaders that this matters – not just for the world but for us as well.

 

It's time to  restore one of the most effective, low-cost tools we have ever had to build healthier, more secure and more humane world.

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Michael Boorstein was a career foreign service officer for 35 years, serving at seven posts overseas in Europe, Africa, East Asia and Latin America. He is the vice president of the Sarasota Institute of Lifelong Learning. He resides in Longboat Key. 

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