Andy Kim: "Trump's USAID Dissolution Is Illegal" ... Willing to Shut Down Government to Stop It

Appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press"

Andy Kim (New Jersey, Democrat), the first Korean-American U.S. federal senator, warned that President Donald Trump's push to dismantle the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) would lead to more conflicts and the deployment of U.S. troops. He also expressed his willingness to risk a federal government shutdown to prevent the Trump administration's dismantling of USAID.

On the 9th (local time), Senator Kim appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" and said, "What we saw last week from the Trump administration was the retreat of the United States around the world."

He explained that with the dismantling of USAID, "China no longer even needs to fight to exert influence globally," adding, "We have worked for China."

President Trump plans to dismantle USAID, which is responsible for U.S. overseas aid, leaving only 294 of its approximately 10,000 employees. However, on the 7th, just one day after the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA) filed an unconstitutional lawsuit, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a temporary injunction against this measure.

Senator Kim warned, "This will affect other countries' access to markets for economic growth," and said, "It will have a very visible and deadly impact on our national security."

Regarding President Trump's moves to dismantle not only USAID but also the Department of Education and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Kim stated he would be willing to endure a federal government shutdown to stop these efforts. This means he will not cooperate with the Republican Party in passing the budget bill, which has a deadline of the 14th of next month.

Senator Kim said, "We are basically facing a constitutional crisis," and added, "I cannot support efforts to continue this lawlessness." He emphasized, "We provided government funding, and it should not be allowed for them to turn it around and dismantle the government."