US Senator slams Trump administration for burning food for 27,000 hungry children.
During a key Senate committee hearing, US Democratic Senator Tim Kaine sharply criticized the Trump administration and asked why 500 metric tons of food purchased for starving children were wasted.
Tim Kaine specifically addressed Deputy Secretary of Management and Resources Michael Rigas and asked him in a sarcastic and harsh manner.
At the Foreign Affairs Committee meeting, Tim Kaine asked why the food items that were stored in the Dubai office by USAID and were due to expire in July were not distributed to deserving children despite receiving a warning in March. And on what basis was the decision to finally burn them?
Senator Kaine said that this food was purchased with the taxes of the American people and could have met the needs of approximately 27,000 hungry children for a month. He expressed his anger and said that the real purpose of this aid package was to satisfy hunger, not to keep it locked in offices and eventually burn it.
At this point, Deputy Minister Michael Rigas could not give a satisfactory answer, he simply said that he would look into the matter in detail later, however, Senator Tim Kaine reminded him that he had asked this question the previous day as well so that he would be ready to answer it today. Now to say that you will look into the matter is a very frivolous attitude.
After the senator’s strong stance, Rigas admitted that he was not in a position to give a proper answer to this question.
