The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), established under President George W. Bush in 2004, is facing significant cuts. Employees were recently informed that the agency would effectively be shut down following visits from Elon Musk’s DOGE, with staff given short notice to accept early retirement or face termination as early as May 5. The agency has historically distributed nearly $17 billion to 47 countries over two decades with rigorous grant standards. Though MCC received waivers to continue five infrastructure projects already under construction in Côte d’Ivoire, Mongolia, Senegal, and Nepal, these will be wound down within three to four months. With approximately 300 employees primarily based in Washington and a modest $1 billion annual budget, MCC had served as a quiet yet effective tool for U.S. foreign policy, particularly in countering Chinese influence in Asia and Africa.
Read more in the New York Times article here, which may be behind a paywall.