Rubio says US identifying USAID programs to be exempted from shutdown

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday the Trump administration was reaching out to U.S. Agency for International Development missions overseas to identify and designate programs that will be exempted from the sweeping stop-work orders.

The criteria for exemptions will be whether or not a program furthers U.S. national interests and is aligned with them. "And those that do not will not continue," Rubio added.
Late on Monday, the administration said it would put on leave all directly hired employees of USAID globally and recall thousands of personnel working overseas, after President Donald Trump ordered a broad freeze on most U.S. foreign aid last month.