US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 3 June mounted a forceful defence of the Trump administration's overhaul of American foreign assistance, telling lawmakers in Washington that the restructuring had made US aid 'more nimble, more responsive' and more tightly aligned with national interests. Rubio pushed back against Democratic charges that the dismantling of parts of the foreign aid bureaucracy had eroded American influence and worsened humanitarian conditions abroad.

Key Developments at the Hearing

Appearing before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State and Related Programs, Rubio framed the changes as a shift from spending-led to outcome-led aid. 'The core of our foreign policy must always be the national interest of the United States,' he told lawmakers during a lengthy budget hearing that ranged across global health, refugees, Iran, Gaza and immigration.

The Secretary maintained that the United States remains the world's largest donor of foreign assistance, but argued that the yardstick must change. 'We don't want aid to solely be judged by how much you spend. We want it to be judged by what its results are,' he said.

New Global Health Strategy

Rubio highlighted a recalibrated global health approach anchored in more than 32 health compacts with partner countries. 'We are trying to lay the groundwork in many of these countries where one day they will no longer need foreign aid because they will be able to sustain it,' he said. 'We're helping build the internal infrastructure.'

The pitch lands amid reported disruptions to health and development programmes following the rollback of USAID functions. Representative Lois Frankel argued the cuts had hurt healthcare, food security and women's programmes in vulnerable countries, while Representative Rosa DeLauro raised alarms over the global Ebola response and what she described as weakened public health preparedness.

Rubio rejected those criticisms, saying the US had moved fast on the current Ebola outbreak. 'We were able to program upwards of over $200 million very quickly in responding to it,' he said, adding that the State Department had set up mechanisms to assist Americans potentially exposed.

Iran, China and Critical Minerals

On Iran, Rubio ruled out upfront concessions in any nuclear negotiation. 'There is not going to be some sort of advanced signing bonus or good faith' payment, he said, responding to concerns that released funds could be funnelled to proxy groups.

On China, the Secretary warned against concentrated dependence on any single supplier for strategic inputs. 'It is not healthy for the global economy and frankly, it is dangerous for national security and the security of the world to depend on any single country for 90 per cent of anything that's critical to your industrial base, your defence base, your technology base,' he said. Rubio added that critical minerals diplomacy had become central to US engagement, with nearly every American embassy now treating supply chain security as a strategic priority.

What Happens Next

The hearing comes as Congress weighs the fiscal year 2027 State Department budget. Republican lawmakers are backing reductions in overall outlays while preserving funding for strategic priorities including Israel, Taiwan, counterterrorism and Indo-Pacific initiatives. 'We are going to award those that are good to the United States,' Rubio said. 'We're not going to be as friendly to places that are not furthering our national interests.' The final appropriations vote will determine how far Rubio's results-led doctrine reshapes the architecture of US assistance.