In a jaw-dropping move, President Donald Trump’s administration is “literally burning taxpayer money” by incinerating nearly $10 million worth of U.S.-funded contraceptives – rather than deliver them to women in need around the world.
The supplies, purchased through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), are set to be burned, despite alternative solutions presented by organizations around the world.
In early July, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the official shutdown of USAID, announcing that all future foreign aid will now be run directly through the State Department and aligned with administration policies.
The dismantling, led by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has already slashed thousands of international aid programs, including many that provided lifesaving medical care, food support, and disaster relief around the world.
Caught in the crosshairs of the cuts is $9.7 million worth of contraceptives – some USAID branded – that are currently stockpiled in a warehouse in Geel, Belgium. The facility is reportedly holding long-acting methods such as IUDs, implants, injectables, and hormone-based pills.
According to CNN, many of the unused contraceptives set for destruction remain viable for years, with some not expiring until 2031. Others are good through at least 2027, making the decision to incinerate them an even more staggering waste of taxpayer-funded medical supplies.
Trump administration to burn $10M taxpayer-funded birth control meant for foreign aid
Despite this, Donald Trump’s administration plans to burn nearly 5 million units, citing the termination of Biden-era global health contracts. The supplies set for destruction were originally intended for international reproductive health programs. Instead, they are now being labeled as “abortifacient birth control commodities” by the U.S. State Department, despite widespread medical consensus that contraceptives do not cause abortion.
“By definition, contraceptives prevent pregnancy – not end a pregnancy. IUDs and other forms of birth control do not cause abortion, and any suggestion otherwise is misinformation,” the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) said, per CNN.
Refused alternative solutions
Even as the administration claims to be cutting costs and reducing federal spending, it has refused offers from organizations like MSI Reproductive Choices volunteered to absorb all costs and donate the supplies at zero cost to taxpayers.
“We were not given a reason for why this offer was not accepted, but it became clear in conversations that it wouldn’t be and that our efforts would be better spent finding alternative solutions to the contraception supplies gap,” Grace Dunne, a spokeswoman for MSI, which supports 36 countries, told CNN.
‘Women dying’
Meanwhile, speaking with the Independent Sarah Shaw, MSI’s associate advocacy director, argued that Trump’s plan “isn’t about government efficiencies.”
“This is about exporting an ideology that’s harmful to women,” Shaw said. “The annual contraceptive bill for Senegal for the entire country is $3 million a year. So, the contents of that warehouse could have met all of Senegal’s contraceptive needs for three years. And instead, we’re going to see massive shortages.
“We’re going to see Senegalese women dying of unsafe abortion, girls having to drop out of school.”
The Belgian government is reportedly engaged in diplomatic discussions with the U.S. embassy, attempting to find alternatives to destruction. Meanwhile, the contraceptives are set to be destroyed by the end of July but French officials said they have “no information” about transfers to medical waste facilities within their jurisdiction, raising more questions about the controversial plan to destroy them.
“We firmly support the Belgian authorities’ commitment to find a solution in order to prevent the destruction of these contraceptives, so that they may reach women and men around the world who need them and are waiting for them,” a diplomatic source told CNN. “Access to quality sexual and reproductive health services and products is both a human rights and a public health issue.”
Donald Trump administration “quite literally burning taxpayer money,” aide says
Bu the plan is moving forward, with an extra $167,000 paid by the US taxpayer.
Double incineration is required due to the high hormonal content of the contraceptives, pushing disposal costs higher. A congressional aide revealed this extra step was needed to prevent environmental contamination, further raising concerns about the financial and ecological impact of the decision.
“They have to double incinerate the products because they contain high levels of hormones and they don’t want to risk leaking the byproducts out in the environment, which likely adds to the cost,” the aide told CNN. “The Trump administration is quite literally burning taxpayer money.”
In 2023, the U.S. spent $68 billion on international assistance, out of a $6.75 trillion federal budget. Still, the administration is prioritizing the incineration of medical supplies over reallocating them to health agencies willing to use them effectively.
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