The following is the transcript of an interview with House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Rep. Brian Mast, Republican of Florida, on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that aired on Feb. 2, 2025.
MARGARET BRENNAN: And we’re joined now by Florida Republican Congressman Brian Mast, who is the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, which has oversight over the State Department and its programs. He joins us from Fort Pierce, Florida. Good morning to you.
REP. BRIAN MAST: Good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to start first on- on the tariffs that were announced overnight by President Trump. You know there is a free trade agreement with Mexico and Canada. President Trump negotiated it during his first term. The tariffs may violate that deal. If he’s invoking tariffs on a national security basis, can you explain the threat posed by Canada?
REP. MAST: Yeah, and he was- President Trump, that is to say, was very specific in his executive order outline, that it’s specifically related to fentanyl, it’s specifically related to human trafficking. And there’s a trust but verify situation that has to- goes on–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Through Canada–
REP. MAST: –go on here- through Canada as well. Absolutely. Fentanyl through Canada, human trafficking through Canada, also with China in that mix for fentanyl as well. That was specifically outlined in it. And until that comes to an end, this is what’s going to be on the table. And bear in mind as well that USMCA reauthorization is coming up in the- the coming up- months and years.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So you don’t believe that this violates the trade agreement? The treaty?
REP. MAST: The- the violation has been to the United States of America. It’s been to our sovereignty. It’s been to our people–
MARGARET BRENNAN: Right, but Congress votes on these things, so–
REP. MAST: –it’s been taken for granted, and I will make sure, certainly, as the Foreign Affairs Chairman, that we give every single authority, as we go through State Department reauthorization, to make sure that this moves forward, as well as purging of people throughout the State Department, other agencies, where we’re freezing aid, these are all very important and necessary steps to make sure that we secure America, and we’re going to support that.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I’m sorry. Can I follow up on what you just said there?
REP. MAST: Please do.
MARGARET BRENNAN: You want to authorize purging of State Department personnel? What does that mean exactly?
REP. MAST: Well, if you want to take a look at the State Department, where DEI has been a priority over, let’s say, diplomacy, in many accounts, I can give you hundreds of examples of where they were authorizing–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –What proof do you have of that?
REP. MAST: Sure. Let’s list them off. Half a million dollars to expand atheism in Nepal, $50,000 to do, let’s see, a transgender opera in Colombia. $47,000 to do an LGBTQ trans comic book in Peru. $20,000 a pop to do drag shows in Ecuador. Shall I continue with more examples of where DEI was the priority?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Oh it- it certainly seems like there- there could be a review of things. Foreign aid, as you know, is less than 1% of the entire federal budget. So we’re talking small amounts of money by comparison, but–
REP. MAST: We’re still talking about tens and tens of billions of dollars. And if you want to go to somebody else on the other side of the aisle, Samantha Powers, she had a worthy goal, although it was a stupid goal, she said she was hoping to get the amount of foreign aid, U.S. aid dollars that go to actual aid, up to 30 cents on the dollar, from 10 cents on the dollar. That’s a major problem, that we have this agency that that’s all that goes abroad–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — I think you’re talking about–
REP. MAST: –when it’s the American worker’s dollar.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I think now you’re talking about the- the USAID, the aid–
REP. MAST: Yes.
MARGARET BRENNAN: –agency, which is a- sep- separate from the State Department currently, and has about $40 billion worth–
REP. MAST: Which is likely going to be rolled more closely under- under Secretary Rubio.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Tell- yeah, tell me about that, because that’s what I- where I was going. Has the Trump administration informed you of plans to dismantle or significantly shrink this agency?
REP. MAST: This is something that I’m working on very specifically, in conjunction with Secretary Rubio, to make sure that there’s the appropriate command and control of these agencies, where again, to make that same point, right now, maybe 10 to 30 cents–
(BEGIN CROSSTALK)
MARGARET BRENNAN: They already report to the Secretary of State.
REP. MAST: –but 10 to 30 cents on the dollar is what actually goes to aid. So there’s not the right amount of command and control that’s going on with the way that it’s set up currently.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congress–
REP. MAST:–And let’s make another point as well–
MARGARET BRENNAN: — Congress authorizes and earmarks funding–
REP. MAST: –most of these dollars- most of these dollars that go out of USAID, 70 plus percent, don’t come from U.S. growers, U.S. farmers, U.S. ranchers, or go through U.S. ports, and that’s another big problem for America.
(END CROSSTALK)
MARGARET BRENNAN
So- I’m sorry, Congress already authorizes and earmarks the funding. Just to be very clear, you’re not endorsing getting rid of USAID as a separate department, which already reports to the Secretary of State. Are you?
REP. MAST: I would be absolutely for, if that’s the path we go down, removing USAID as a separate department, and having it fall under whether the other parts of the United States, Department of State, because of its failure, I just went over the numbers twice with you, in the amount of aid that actually makes it into the hands- I mean, you could- you could almost say, this a little bit hyperbole, but there’s probably more dollars that go towards state dinners around the DC beltway than what actually goes into rice and beans abroad. That’s the- the state of what’s going on with USAID. And Samantha Power said no less herself.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, I think every single administration authorizes reviews, could increase efficiencies. There are plenty of people who propose bringing it more under the authority of the State Department. Madeleine Albright tried to do that. That’s not a new MAGA idea. I think the question here, though, is about how you do it. Do you still believe that- that- in the law, signed in in the 1960s, that Congress has to sign off on any changes to USAID. Or do you think President Trump can just make all of this happen through executive order?
REP. MAST: So all of those examples that you just gave of those historical figures, the difference is, now the job is going to get done. It’s going to be 99.99% of cents on the dollar actually go–
(BEGIN CROSSTALK)
MARGARET BRENNAN: Okay–
REP. MAST: –towards what it’s intended–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –okay, so you’re talking about–
REP. MAST: — instead of people around the beltway.–
MARGARET BRENNAN: –you’re talking about–
REP. MAST: That’s what’s going to happen. That’s the change.
MARGARET BRENNAN: –efficiencies and aids versus restructuring. So let me ask you about that. Like I said–
(END CROSSTALK)
REP. MAST: Well, that requires restructuring, 100%. You can’t create that efficiency just by wishing it into existence, you have to restructure where the failures are and put the right things in place.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Of course. But what we’re hearing from many of these aid organizations and officials is that, can you restructure after you finish the review and not freeze funding now, immediately? I spoke to former USAID Global Health head Atul Gawande yesterday. He told me, this isn’t a pause in foreign aid. It is a demolition of USAID. As he put it, you can’t pause a flight in mid air. That’s what’s happening. This immediate freeze in funding is stopping agencies in the field from being able to do the work they do.
REP. MAST: Let’s say why that is so important. And let’s talk about the real facts on the ground. The Trump administration comes in, or representatives like myself that do oversight, the agencies will literally not tell us what they are writing grants for, literally. Or they will lie about it, or they will tell the new political appointees under the Trump administration, I’m just not going to tell you that. Those are real things that have happened. So the way that you make them come and answer for where they are actually sending dollars is to say, we’re freezing that, we’re putting it on hold. You need to come to us and explain what it is you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and where it’s actually saving life. And guess what, when they don’t come explain something that also begs the question, why were they doing it in the first place.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But the way these things work, is the contractors have to front the cash then go to the U.S. government for reimbursement. So when you put in an immediate freeze, that means drugs don’t get delivered. That means they don’t get distributed. That means bomb disposal units don’t get to go out there in places like Cambodia and remove ordinance or provide help to people who receive it. That’s the pushback from aid organizations who are saying they’re going to have to carry out layoffs in the thousands in the coming week. Does that concern you at all?
REP. MAST: They will have an opportunity- it doesn’t concern me, because of the grift that has been going on to the American taxpayer, the American worker. That’s what needs to be answered for. And so you look at this, let’s use PEPFAR as an example. You’re talking about drugs going to individuals. There was a release of that hold that was put, that was authorized, but it shouldn’t be the case that the American people fund HIV and AIDS drugs for 20 million people across Africa, where many of these countries are working very directly with our adversaries, like China. That is an example of them taking us for granted. We need to be asking the question, should they be weaning off of this, should we be paying for these very expensive HIV and AIDS drugs? Should the American worker be- be footing the bill for that? Those are real questions.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Yeah, real questions. But in the meantime, people need their drugs while you ask those questions. So that’s where the- the disagreement is with the aid organizations. But let me ask you about air traffic controllers and what’s happening here at home.
REP. MAST: Not with all the leaders of other countries though. I believe I saw the leader of Kenya as one step up and say, hey, this is an example where we need to step up for ourselves and show how we can take care of ourselves. And I believe that was the president there.
MARGARET BRENNAN: I want to ask you, as I was saying, about another committee you sit on, Transportation Committee. The FAA hiring policy for air traffic controllers, including under the first Trump administration, offered equal opportunity to those with targeted disabilities, including, as the president read, hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, severe intellectual debility- disability, excuse me. The president singled this out, this policy, as a contributor, possibly, to the crash. Do you agree with the diversity policy or do you agree with the president? I know you lost two limbs serving this country in Afghanistan. Do you hear those words and take offense to them? Or–
REP. MAST: No, no offense. Let’s- let’s unpack it. Number one, I’ll use myself as an example, right? There are things that I am suited to do, no doubt, but flying an aircraft, to stick with the subject at hand, would not be one of them. I could fly a personal- personal aircraft, but to put me in charge–
MARGARET BRENNAN: This is an air traffic controller.
REP. MAST: –of 50 or 150 lives, that would not be the right case for me personally, given my physical disabilities, and foot pedals on an aircraft. To go to the diversity side of it and the actual crash. Yes, there were very real errors that took place, both in the air traffic control tower and with the helicopter pilots, it seems. But more systemically, is there a big hiring problem across all federal agencies, to include the FAA, where they made the priority diversity and inclusion instead of excellence and performance? Yes, that’s the case. They made the priority appearance and lifestyle and not the big deal.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Congressman, thank you for your time today.
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