US Representative Lois Frankel, the top Democrat on the House subcommittee that oversees spending on foreign aid, said humanitarian waivers were not being implemented because so many USAID staff had been cut.
“There’s no one to do it. It’s total chaos out in the field and here, with contractors, recipients, mission partners. Everything has stopped,” she said.
The State Department did not immediately respond on Friday to a request for comment.
The administration told USAID workers on Thursday night that 611 essential staff would be retained.
