{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mcbride-presses-trump-administration-state-department-cuts-anti", "Rep. McBride Presses Trump Administration on State Department Cuts to Anti-Trafficking, Slush Fund Spending", "2025-07-15", "2025", "2025-07", "Democrat", "House", "DE", "Sarah McBride", "M001238", "mcbride.house.gov", "mcbride", "https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2014 During today\u2019s House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the Trump Administration\u2019s proposed FY26 State Department budget, Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-DE) raised sharp concerns about staffing cuts to the State Department\u2019s anti-trafficking office, the dismantling of U ID, and a proposed $2.9 billion \u201cAmerica First Opportunity Fund\u201d with limited congressional oversight.\n\nReferencing the recent layoffs of over 1,300 State Department employees, Rep. McBride asked Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael Rigas whether he was aware that \u201cthese layoffs reduce the staff at the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons by 71%.\u201d When Rigas confirmed he was aware, McBride followed:\n\n\u201cHave we seen a 71% reduction in human trafficking globally?\u201d\n\nChallenging the justification for such deep staffing reductions, she stated:\n\n\u201cI do think it boggles the mind and defies belief that 71% of this department was so dispensable amidst a global crisis of human trafficking.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m not surprised that the MAGA base is now questioning this administration\u2019s commitment to combating human trafficking globally and domestically.\u201d\n\nRep. McBride also criticized the administration\u2019s decision to dismantle USAID and delay enforcement of anti-corruption laws:\n\n\u201cThis administration has destroyed the world\u2019s premier international development agency because the DOGE bros didn\u2019t understand how to read a spreadsheet.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis administration is also pausing enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act while foreign interests spend millions at the president\u2019s resorts.\u201d\n\nWhen discussing the proposed \u201cAmerica First Opportunity Fund,\u201d McBride asked:\n\n\u201cCan you tell us what controls, if any, will be put in place to ensure that this fund cannot be used for personal or political benefits of anyone in this administration?\u201d\n\nAnd in response to Rigas\u2019s suggestion that public oversight included the President\u2019s media appearances, McBride concluded:\n\n\u201cYou\u2019re right, he does talk a lot on TV right now. I did see him recently try to defend not releasing the Epstein files.\u201d\n\nThe full exchange can be viewed here.\n\nRep. McBride has consistently opposed the Trump administration\u2019s foreign aid rollbacks and personnel purges. She is a cosponsor of the Defending American Diplomacy Act and the Protect U.S. National Security Act, both of which seek to block attempts to eliminate USAID and protect the independence of U.S. foreign assistance. She has also signed onto multiple letters calling for hearings, transparency, and continued support for USAID programs that serve women, girls, and vulnerable communities across the globe.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T14:40:33Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://mcbride.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mcbride-presses-trump-administration-state-department-cuts-anti"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7709739729762077, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}