Dear Conservative Family Member...
An email I sent to a conservative family member, who asked about USAID
Conversations about foreign aid can be difficult, especially when discussing it with loved ones who might have different perspectives. With so much misinformation out there, it’s easy for these discussions to become frustrating or unproductive. I know I’ve felt it the last two weeks.
Recently, I wrote an email to a conservative Christian family member to share my firsthand experience with USAID and address some common misconceptions. I’m sharing it here not just to explain how I see things, but also as an example of how we can approach these conversations—with honesty, clarity, and a focus on common values. My hope is that this can help others navigate similar discussions with their own family and friends.
Dear Conservative Family Member,
First, I love you. I know this message comes from a place of care, and I really appreciate your support and prayers. I also know there’s a lot of confusion, misinformation, and frustration surrounding foreign aid, so I want to take the time to share my perspective, based on firsthand experience.
The biggest issue, for me, at the moment isn’t corruption. It’s that the U.S. government simply isn’t paying its bills. My company, and many others working on USAID-funded projects, have legally binding contracts and grant agreements. Normally, we cover project costs upfront, then submit reports to get reimbursed at the end of each quarter. But since January 25th, payments have stopped, contracts have been halted, and we’re left in limbo. That’s over three months in costs I’ve had to cover for an office of 24 people.
This isn't just happening to big organizations. Local nonprofits, small businesses, and grassroots groups that have been implementing projects for years are suddenly left without the money they’re owed. That’s why lawsuits are being filed—not to demand more funding, but simply to enforce the agreements that were already made.
More on how this is affecting Christian foreign aid groups: TIME: Foreign Aid and Christian Medical Teams
There’s a popular idea that USAID is handing out money with no accountability, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Every cent we spend is tracked—through reports, audits, and compliance reviews. My company alone gets audited twice a year. We submit financial reports every quarter. There are layers upon layers of oversight.
And if you’re curious where USAID money actually goes, you can look it up on usaspending.gov and foreignassistance.gov, where every contract and grant is listed. You can find the inspector general reports here: https://oig.usaid.gov/our-work
I get it, when you hear about hamsters on steroids and Russian cats on treadmills, it’s easy to think, what is our government spending money on?! But most of these stories are wildly exaggerated or outright false.
Scientific research grants sometimes get misrepresented for political gain. A study on addiction that used mice or fruit flies to understand substance abuse gets turned into “government pays mice to binge drink.” A project that helps track animal migration patterns turns into “$3M to study hamster gym routines.” The truth is always more complex than a viral headline.
Fact-checking claims about USAID spending: Fact-Checking the White House Claims
One of the hardest things about this moment is watching my field, work I’ve dedicated my life to, get torn down by misinformation. We live in a time where one person (be it a president, a billionaire, or a random influencer) can post a lie, and suddenly the burden of proof is on everyone else to disprove it.
I’ve worked under multiple administrations: Obama, Trump, Biden, and now Trump again. I’ve seen funding priorities shift, which is completely normal. But what’s happening now is something different. This isn’t a policy change, it’s an intentional effort to inject chaos into a system that has long operated with bipartisan support.
A good breakdown of what’s actually happening: TIME: USAID Foreign Aid Freeze & Evangelicals
Beyond the political noise, this has real consequences. It’s not just about contractors like me, it’s about farmers, food security, and global stability. The Food for Peace program, for example, is being disrupted, which directly affects American farmers who grow crops for food aid programs.
How this is impacting U.S. farmers:
Breakdown of USAID’s stop work orders by state: USAID Stop Work Tracker
And Republicans are voicing the importance of USAID.
And while we are all debating the effectiveness of USAID, and that is a legitimate question, we have people who depended on America's generosity. The poor and the sick are not able to get the medicine they need. For example, our friends are directly impacted by health clinics unable to provide medicine and closing health clinics in Uganda.
This all has led to America instantly losing whatever soft power they’ve developed over the world. In Cambodia, we’ve already seen China donate $4.4m to help with demining, when the USAID stop was put into place. These are bombs and mines, mostly ours, from Vietnam that kill innocent lives.
At the end of the day, I know that my work has a real impact. I’ve seen it firsthand. I’ve worked on programs that help kids access education, support survivors of trafficking, and improve healthcare in places where people desperately need it. That’s why I keep going, even in moments like this.
Conservative Family Member, I know we might not see eye to eye on everything, but I also know we both believe in truth, justice, love, and caring for others. My hope is that more people take the time to dig deeper, ask questions, and seek out what’s really happening. Because when Americans do, we find that the world is a lot more complicated, and a lot more hopeful, than the headlines make it seem.
Love you, and appreciate you.
Jesse
This was a lot kinder than my letter to conservative family. It's so hard but we have to keep the conversations open somehow.