[USIP President George] Moose’s firing, however, is in direct opposition to the text of the U.S. Institute of Peace Act, which states that USIP board members must be confirmed by the Senate, and that their term cannot begin until they are officially sworn into that role. The act also states that the board — which consists of 15 members — is the one who can appoint the president.
Though USIP is an independent nonprofit — not a U.S. government agency — it was one of three international aid organizations targeted by U.S. President Donald Trump last month. On Feb. 19, Trump called the USIP, the U.S. African Development Foundation, and the Inter-American Foundation “unnecessary” in an executive order, forcing each entity to reduce their operations, staff, and footprint to the “minimum presence and function required by law.”
Many thought USIP — which is registered as a 501c3 created by Congress and founded under former Republican President Ronald Reagan — would be spared. But less than a month after Trump’s executive order was released, DOGE has made its way into USIP’s offices too. It seems to be the first time DOGE has targeted a nonprofit organization, despite repeated attempts by USIP to differentiate itself as such.
It’s unclear whether DOGE’s actions are legal, especially given the fact that USIP is the sole owner of its building, has independent budget authority, and manages all security and maintenance of its Washington, D.C., grounds. DOGE’s actions seem to go directly against the fine print of the U.S. Institute of Peace Act: The president of the institute, for example, must be a “nonvoting ex officio member of the Board,” the act states.
In the U.S. Institute of Peace Act, board members cannot be removed unless at least eight voting members recommend doing so — or if the board receives a recommendation from a majority of members in the committees on foreign affairs, education, and labor in both the House and the Senate.
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