Democratic senators criticized the U.S. aid response to the earthquake in Myanmar in a letter to the Trump administration on Wednesday. They expressed concern that the U.S. appeared to be failing in its ability to respond to the crisis due to cuts in foreign aid and dismantling of aid agencies.
The senators highlighted that countries like China and Russia were sending rescue and relief teams while the U.S. response seemed lacking. They emphasized the importance of meeting moral and strategic objectives in humanitarian crises.
The letter was organized by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chris Coons, among others, and sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The senators also called for sanctions waivers for earthquake relief going into Myanmar and criticized the lack of specialist aid teams sent by the U.S. after the earthquake. Other nations like China, Russia, and India had already dispatched teams and supplies.
The New York Times reported that the U.S. had not managed to send a three-person assessment team to Myanmar yet. The senators highlighted how the cuts to foreign aid had impacted the U.S. government’s ability to respond effectively to disasters.
The Trump administration’s cuts to aid contracts for transportation and overall spending on foreign aid had raised concerns about the U.S.’s response to disasters like the earthquake in Myanmar. The U.S. Embassy in Myanmar announced a much smaller aid package than previous administrations.
The senators called on the State Department and U.S.A.I.D. to assess what resources could still be used to help in Myanmar, despite the challenges posed by the administration’s actions.
The senators also urged the Treasury Department to authorize transactions prohibited by sanctions for earthquake relief efforts in Myanmar. The U.S. government’s assessment team was reportedly in the process of being deployed to assist in the disaster response.