Murkowski blasts 'callous' DOGE, backs USAID

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) is again speaking out against the Trump administration — this time blasting efforts led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to gut the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) by slashing jobs and foreign contracts.

Murkowski, a crucial swing vote in the Republican-controlled Senate, said Thursday in a post on social platform X that she recently met with USAID employees from her state.

“They not only informed me of the confusing and callous handling of personnel matters by [the Office of Personnel Management] and DOGE, but they also painted an incredibly troubling picture of what the world looks like without humanitarian assistance from the United States,” she wrote. “Although I support measures to find inefficiencies within the agency, USAID’s mission to keep people healthy and safe in even the most remote corners of the world should not be eliminated.”

The Trump administration drastically cut USAID funding and contracts, after DOGE flagged several programs. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who is leading the DOGE effort, has accused USAID of corruption and fraud, but completely shuttering the agency has faced political and legal resistance.

Murkowski's latest remarks echo concerns she raised in February about the impact that slashing federal jobs would have on Alaskans.

“Many of these abrupt terminations will do more harm than good, stunting opportunities in Alaska and leaving holes in our communities. We can’t realize our potential for responsible energy and mineral development if we can’t permit projects,” she wrote in a Feb. 14 post on X.

Murkowski similarly took to social media on Sunday to express her frustration with the White House, specifically questioning President Trump’s refusal to acknowledge Russia’s role in starting the war in Ukraine with its invasion three years ago and Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I know foreign policy is not for the faint of heart, but right now, I am sick to my stomach as the administration appears to be walking away from our allies and embracing Putin, a threat to democracy and U.S. values around the world,” she posted on X.

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