North Carolina
Public health experts warn Trump funding freeze could have major impact on North Carolina
Public health experts are warning that thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of economic impact in North Carolina are on the line, as President Donald Trump continues a stop work order and funding freeze at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The agency is responsible for distributing billions of dollars in humanitarian aid around the world each year. North Carolina organizations alone receive nearly $1 billion, according to USA Spending.
Trump and Elon Musk have argued that spending is often both wasteful and filled with fraud. In a post on X Sunday, Musk called the agency “a criminal organization.”
Some Republicans, including the NCGOP, have applauded the funding freeze. In a statement, NCGOP spokesperson Matt Mercer wrote “the stunning abuse of taxpayer dollars by USAID must end.”
However, public health experts like Brianna Clarke-Schwelm are pushing back.
“I know that the people here in North Carolina in the humanitarian aid sector are really committed to working on behalf of the American people,” Clarke-Shwelm said.
Clarke-Schwelm is executive director of the NC Global Health Alliance, which represents humanitarian groups and universities in North Carolina, many of which receive funding from USAID.
“We work in disease eradication, and responding to disease outbreaks. We work in bringing fresh water, safe water, and resources to low and middle income countries around the world,” Clarke-Schwelm said.
Among the top recipients of USAID dollars in North Carolina are the state’s universities.
NC State received $2.2 million from USAID last fiscal year. UNC received far more, around $17.5 million.
According to a UNC spokesperson, that money went towards a laundry list of programs, including tools to track the spread of tuberculosis, and “rigorous monitoring, evaluation, and research to ensure that USAID investments are effective and efficient,” among other things.
UNC confirmed nine of those programs have now received stop work orders.
It’s not clear how long the funding freeze and stop work orders will be in place, but Clarke-Schwelm argued the longer the order lasts, the more likely there will be consequences for the 120,000 people working in the state’s global health sector.
“We are seeing furloughs and layoffs across the country. And we expect that to continue and intensify here in North Carolina itself,” Clarke-Schwelm said.