Biden sets acting-administrator order for USAID

President Joe Biden issued a January 3, 2025 memorandum setting who could act as administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development if the administrator could not serve. The order placed the deputy administrator for management and resources first, followed by the deputy administrator for policy and programming, then assistant administrators by appointment date and last name. The memo relied on the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and revoked a 2008 USAID succession memorandum. The action mattered because USAID administers foreign assistance, disaster response, health, democracy, and development programs, so acting-leadership rules can affect continuity in overseas aid and U.S. foreign-policy implementation.