U.S. House Democrats Press Rubio for Details on alleged ‘voter turnout’ funds to India
The Hindu
Democrats seek details from Secretary of State Rubio on alleged $21 million spent by USAID on voter turnout in India.
Two Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) have written to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio seeking details of the alleged $21 million spent by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on “voter turnout” in India. They also ask for details on how the Department for Government Efficiency (DOGE) cancelled the program and communicated the cancellation to stakeholders.
The letter, dated March 13, refers to the “$21 million for voter turnout in India”- an alleged program cancelled by DOGE, led by billionaire - and Trump administration adviser - Elon Musk. Mr. Trump had repeatedly cited the alleged program as an example wasteful foreign assistance. Mr Trump’s claims had led to an uproar in Parliament with the BJP and Congress trading charges.
The committee has oversight over the U.S. State Department and the authors of the letter say they had written to Mr. Rubio three times in February seeking details of the funding,but had not received a reply. The letter is signed by HFAC’s Ranking Member (i.e., a Democrat) Gregory Meeks and the ranking member of its South and Central Asia subcommittee, Sydney Kamlager-Dove.
“The President’s [ Mr Trump’s] statements, including his unsubstantiated claim that the Biden Administration used these funds to ‘get somebody else elected’ ignited a political firestorm in India,” the U.S. lawmakers say in their letter.
Citing examples such as the USAID had provided for the setting up of IIT Kanpur, the letter says Mr. Trump’s “inflammatory statements” had created suspicion around the development agency’s work in India and jeopardized a long lasting partnership.
“India is a key strategic partner and sustaining this relationship requires skilled diplomacy,” the letter says.
The lawmakers ask Mr. rubio for a response to their letter by March 21. The Hindu has reached out to the State Department for a comment.
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