Senators Kim, Van Hollen Lead Colleagues in Letter Pushing State Department to Honor USAID Officers’ Public Service
May 20, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Andy Kim (D-N.J.) andSenator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) led a group of nine Democratic colleagues in the Senate in sending a letter to Secretary Marco Rubio, Secretary of State and Acting Administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), demanding action to honor the patriotism and dedicated service of USAID officers whose promotions were stalled.
“These USAID officers have dedicated their careers to advancing U.S. interests around the world, often in challenging and high-risk environments. They and their families’ sacrifice and patriotism warrant special consideration to ensure that they leave USAID with the rank and remuneration they earned,” wrote the lawmakers.
USAID’s promotion list for the 2024 cohort (PN2280) was submitted by the White House on December 2, 2024, but was returned without action. The 2024 cohort includes foreign service officers from 17 states, including New Jersey and Maryland, and the District of Columbia. The lawmakers state: “Without a resubmission and confirmation of PN2280, these officers will forfeit the pay, benefits, and pension accrual associated with their merit-based promotions.”
The Senators are requesting that the promotion list is resubmitted to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with a retroactive effective date of December 21, 2024. Due to the Trump administration’s planned 100 percent reduction in force of the USAID Foreign Service as part of the ongoing integration of USAID into the Department of State, all 66 USAID officers nominated for promotion now face involuntary separation beginning on July 1, 2025.
The senators also point to precedent for this corrective action from 2020 when President Trump submitted a list of USAID officers for promotion that was significantly delayed. The list was then approved by the Biden administration, ensuring parity, and protecting the financial standing of its officers.
The letter was signed by Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), John Fetterman (D-PA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Christopher Coons (D-DE), Mark Warner (D-VA), and Brian Schatz (D-HI).
Senator Kim is a former USAID employee and was a career public servant working in national security and diplomacy at the White House, State Department, and Pentagon before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and after, the U.S. Senate. He is currently a member of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP); the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and the Special Committee on Aging.
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