Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday to make the case for his department’s 2026 budget and defend sweeping reforms aimed at cutting red tape, improving efficiency, and ensuring foreign aid reaches those who truly need it.
Rubio stated that only 12 cents of every dollar sent through USAID was actually reaching recipients. He described the system as bloated and inefficient, saying memos took far too long to get to his desk due to excessive approval layers. “That can’t continue. We can’t move at that pace,” Rubio told lawmakers, stressing that the State Department must respond faster to global events.
He explained that the department had conducted a review of foreign aid programs and found that while some were worthwhile, others were poorly prioritized or made no sense at all. The reforms, Rubio said, are focused on a direct-delivery model managed by regional bureaus and tied to broader foreign policy goals.
The hearing turned heated when Senator Chris Van Hollen, who previously voted to confirm Rubio, said he regretted the vote. Rubio responded, “Your regret for voting for me confirms I’m doing a good job.”
Senator Tim Kaine then challenged the Trump administration’s decision to grant refugee status to Afrikaners facing persecution in South Africa, questioning whether race played a role in their admission. Rubio pushed back forcefully. “You’re the one that’s talking about the color of their skin, not me,” he said. He emphasized that the policy prioritizes U.S. national interest and vetting reliability—not skin color.
Rubio concluded that America cannot accommodate every global hardship and must make rational, interest-based decisions on who is admitted. He made clear that his reforms are about restoring purpose, speed, and effectiveness—not abandoning U.S. leadership abroad.
Rubio emphasized that these reforms are essential to ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and that U.S. foreign aid serves strategic national interests, not political agendas.
