Before making an attempt to enter the building on Monday, a group of Senate and House Democrats rallied a crowd of supporters outside the U.S. Agency for International Development ( USAID ) headquarters.
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” As you probably saw, Elon Musk and his team put a gag order on A. I. D. people. They disconnected them from contact, which is putting lives at risk around the world”, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md. ), said to the crowd. ” So we are here to enter the building. And so that we can learn directly from whoever is present at AID, or at least experience the unfolding of this Elon Musk acquisition attempt, which will not have.
” We does prevail”! he continued. ” Come go”.
Democrats lead a crowd of protest into the USAID office.
Looks kind insurrectionyyy to me… phot. twitter.com/yN56aVqfLv
— Libs of TikTok ( @libsoftiktok ) February 3, 2025
They were, nevertheless, ineffective. In contrast to the Capitol rebellion, when Capitol Police allow protesters into the tower, protection did not permit the mob into USAID Headquarters.
A group of Senate and House Democrats were reportedly prohibited from entering the United States Agency for International Development ( USAID ) headquarters on Monday, according to The Hill. ” The Political politicians, who are opposed to President Trump’s initiatives to shut down the company, left without affair after a short trade with security officers. The party, led by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md. ), were ]sic ] told the front office of the administrator of USAID was not available to meet”.
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A representative told politicians outside the gates that a small group of USAID employees working with the front office executive were in the office on Monday, but they were not available to meet with the lawmakers.
” Underwhelming”, one Democratic lawmaker said about being blocked from entering.
The USAID web went darkish over the weekend, as data was moved to the State Department’s site and people were told to telecommuting.
Since Trump issued a freeze on all U.S. international support two weeks earlier, stop-work requests for USAID award recipients, and staff layoffs and furlough, the organization’s procedures have become more chaotic and uncertain.
According to Van Hollen, Democrats in Congress are pursuing legal action to block the Trump administration, Elon Musk, and the Department of Government Efficiency ( DOGE ) from dismantling USAID. ” We’re working with lawyers to try and get an injunction”, he said.  ,
Democrats are chuckling at the fact that their beloved slush fund is eventually being reined in. ” What Trump and Musk have done is not only wrong, it’s illegal”, claimed Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va. ), insisting that” USAID was established by an act of Congress, and it can only be disbanded by an act of Congress”.
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Democrats have criticized Musk specifically for his anger. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn. ) charged him with being a member of an “unelected billionaire class trying to overtake our government,” while Van Hollen claimed the action was an “illegal power grab by someone who contributed$ 267 million to the Trump campaign.”
In response, Van Hollen and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii ) vowed to obstruct Trump’s nominees requiring Senate confirmation for as long as USAID remains under threat. ” We’re all in this together”, Van Hollen declared.
