Maine Sen. Susan Collins (R) and New Hampshire’s Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D) — a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee — have raised concerns to the Trump Administration about the impending expiration or destruction of “US–purchased lifesaving commodities.”
In a statement on Friday, the senators announced that they had sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio asking that additional information regarding these products be provided to them by September 30.
More specifically, they are looking for a complete list of goods targeted for destruction or expected to expire at the end of the year, as well as the Secretary’s plans for “ensuring efficient distribution of these items.”
“We write to share our concern regarding recent reports that significant quantities of U.S.–purchased lifesaving commodities, including food aid and contraceptive supplies, have been allowed to expire or targeted for destruction instead of being made available to intended beneficiaries,” the senators wrote in their letter.
“While we appreciate that operational realities and security concerns can sometimes complicate distribution, these losses raise questions about both the stewardship of taxpayer resources and the Department’s ability to implement processes to deliver commodities,” they continued.
Sens. Collins and Shaheen outline findings from “recent reports” that “millions of dollars’ worth of commodities have expired or remained unused since January 2025.” It is further noted that the federal government has incurred additional costs to dispose of these products.
They go on to explain that several European countries reportedly asked to acquire these goods for distribution, offering to “rebrand and repackage” them at their own expense, but they were declined.
“These outcomes appear inconsistent with our shared goal of minimizing waste in foreign assistance programs,” the senators wrote.
A memo from May of this year issued by the State Department noted that more than 60,000 metric tons of food aid were at risk of spoiling before reaching their intended destination, but by late July, only 12,000 metric tons had begun moving.
“Just last month, 15,000 pounds of ready-to-use therapeutic food expired and was destroyed in a warehouse in Georgia, despite its critical role in treating malnutrition in children,” they explained. “$9.7 million of unexpired contraceptive commodities designated for destruction are being held at a warehouse in Belgium.”
As the basis for the request, Collins and Shaheen cite a clause in the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 which requires the Secretary of State to inform the Committees on Appropriations “of each instance in which assistance provided in the act has been destroyed.”
“We believe it would be consistent with congressional intent for this requirement to include commodities that are destroyed, disposed of, rendered unusable, or otherwise fail to reach the intended beneficiaries as part of this requirement,” the senators wrote at the close of their letter.
Copied on this letter were OMB Director Russell Vought and Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Michael Rigas.
