This act mandates a report by the Comptroller General investigating and detailing deaths resulting from the cessation of USAID activities.
Brad Sherman
Representative
CA-32
The Evan Anzoo Memorial Act mandates a comprehensive report by the Comptroller General investigating deaths resulting from the cessation of USAID activities. This report must estimate fatalities in 2025 and the subsequent five years, and specifically determine if ten named individuals died due to these actions. An interim update is required within 180 days, with the final report due one year after enactment.
Evan Anzoo Memorial Act Mandates Investigation into Lives Lost Following USAID Shutdown: Report Due in 2026.
The Evan Anzoo Memorial Act sets a strict clock on the federal government to account for the human cost of pulling back international aid. Under this bill, the Comptroller General of the United States must launch a deep-dive investigation into how many people died—or are expected to die—because USAID (the U.S. Agency for International Development) stopped its work and closed its doors. This isn't just a vague request for data; the bill requires a public report within one year that estimates specific death tolls from 2025 and projects the fallout over the next five years. It’s essentially a forensic audit of a policy shift, moving the conversation from budget spreadsheets to actual lives lost.
Putting Names to Numbers
What makes this legislation unique is that it doesn't just look at statistics; it focuses on individuals. Section 2 specifically requires the government to determine if ten named people—including Evan Anzoo, Jibia Tusifu, and Gilbert Kayombo—died as a direct result of USAID services being discontinued. For families who rely on international aid for clean water, medicine, or food security, this bill acts as a high-level accountability check. It’s the difference between a government saying 'we saved money' and a report that details exactly who no longer has access to life-saving services and what happened to them as a result.
The Accountability Timeline
The bill is designed to keep the public and Congress in the loop through a two-step process. First, there is a 180-day 'interim update' to ensure the investigation is actually moving. Then, the final report must be posted on a public website, making the findings accessible to anyone with an internet connection, from a policy researcher in D.C. to a local business owner wondering where their tax dollars are (or aren't) going. By mandating a five-year projection of 'anticipated deaths,' the bill forces the government to confront the long-term ripple effects of shutting down humanitarian programs, rather than just looking at the immediate aftermath.