Ranking Member Shaheen, Senator Collins Urge Secretary of State to Report to Congress on Expiring and Destroyed Lifesaving Foreign Aid

WASHINGTON - This week, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Susan Collins (R-ME) sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio following reports that significant quantities of U.S.-purchased lifesaving commodities, including food aid and contraceptive supplies, have been allowed to expire or targeted for destruction instead of being made available to intended beneficiaries. The Senators are requesting that the Department of State compile a list by September 30, 2025, of all commodities purchased by the Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development that have been destroyed, are designated for destruction, or set to expire by the end of the year, as required by the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025.

"Recent reports indicate that millions of dollars' worth of commodities have expired or remained unused since January 2025, with additional costs incurred to dispose of them," the Senators wrote. "Furthermore, it has been reported that European countries and trusted international organizations have requested to acquire and distribute these commodities, even to rebrand and repackage them at their own expense, but those offers were declined. These outcomes appear inconsistent with our shared goal of minimizing waste in foreign assistance programs."

"A May 2025 Department memo noted more than 60,000 metric tons of food aid were at risk of spoilage before reaching their destination," they continued. "By late July 2025, only around 12,000 metric tons had begun moving, with weeks remaining before final delivery. Just last month, 15,000 pounds of ready-to-use therapeutic food expired and was destroyed in a warehouse in Georgia, despite its critical role in treating malnutrition in children. Additionally, $9.7 million of unexpired contraceptive commodities designated for destruction are being held at a warehouse in Belgium."

"We also wish to highlight section 7015(j) of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 (P.L. 118-47), as carried forward by the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (Public Law 119-4), which requires the Secretary of State to promptly inform the Committees on Appropriations of each instance in which assistance provided in the act has been destroyed. We look forward to receiving additional details on these recent cases, including a full accounting of costs, the rationale for destruction, and the Department's plan to prevent such waste in the future," the Senators concluded.

The complete text of their letter can be read here.

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