Sen. Merkley Accuses Sen. Rubio of Causing Mass Deaths Through USAID Cuts

Visa Revocations and Due Process

• 💡 Senator Merkley questioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the revocation of student visas, noting an increase from 300 in March to potentially thousands.
• 📌 Merkley expressed concern over Rubio's expansive interpretation of the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows visa revocation based on perceived future beliefs or statements, calling it an "extraordinary violation of due process."
• ⚖️ Rubio defended the actions, stating that a visa is a privilege, not a right, and that the interpretation is within his authority.

USAID Restructuring and its Consequences

• 🚀 Senator Merkley criticized the rapid restructuring of USAID, citing Elon Musk's comment about "tossing USAID into the wood chipper" without congressional consultation.
• ⚠️ Merkley presented estimates from the Boston School of Public Health suggesting significant increases in deaths from child malnutrition, diarrhea, pneumonia, and malaria due to these actions.
• 📊 These estimates, which Merkley stated were continuously updated, indicated hundreds of thousands of deaths to date and projected much higher numbers by the end of the year.
• 📉 A study published in Nature was also referenced, predicting 15 million additional deaths over 15 years from HIV, malnutrition, tuberculosis, and malaria if USAID programs were significantly curtailed.

Rubio's Rebuttal to Death Toll Claims

• ❌ Secretary Rubio vehemently denied the death toll figures presented by Merkley, calling them "false" and "fake."
• 🚫 He argued that the estimates were based on a hypothetical worst-case scenario of a near-total, permanent freeze in foreign aid, which he stated is not the reality.
• ✅ Rubio asserted that 85% of PEPFAR recipients are still receiving care and that the presented numbers are exaggerated and lack evidence.
• 🌍 He questioned the premise that the US must fund foreign aid at high levels in perpetuity to prevent global suffering, implying other countries should also contribute.