Letter: The Republican Administration and Social Engineering 

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) was mentioned in last month’s telephone town hall by Congressman Langworthy. During the town hall, no calls were taken from Tioga County. Nine calls were addressed in all: six from women and three from men. Langworthy’s policy descriptions were a duplication of the Republican administration’s Project 2025 agenda. 

Last February, Musk described the USAID agency as criminal, and the Republican administration proceeded to shutter it. During the phone call, Congressman Langworthy described the USAID as a government agency that engaged in transgender education and “social engineering” in foreign countries. He said the agency was supposed to deliver medication and provide health care but was manipulated into “disgusting” areas. 

Congressman Langworthy is adept at using phrases that display his contempt for “others.” During this town hall, statements about gender affirming care and social engineering overseas were meant to arouse his base. The definition of gender affirming care is not what Langworthy implies. It simply involves medical, surgical, and mental health care. It does not refer exclusively to the care of LGBTQ+. Although medications can block hormones for transgender individuals, they can also be prescribed for post-menopausal women or to children with early onset puberty. 

Langworthy, by his tone of voice and choice of words, is echoing Trump’s abhorrence of the LBGTQ+ population. He created the impression that money sent to countries for LGBTQ+ care was “disgusting.” Since when is health care disgusting? The abrupt shuttering of the USAID will cause untold suffering and even death. 

A term that Langworthy used twice during the town hall was “social engineering.” It is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as centralized planning to manage social change and regulate the future development and behavior of a society. 

According to Factcheck.org, Feb 2025, USAID is an independent entity separate from the State Department. Money sent to a Serbian LGBTQ advocacy organization was aimed at improving the inclusion of LGBTQ people in the workplace. The overarching goal was one of driving economic growth and creating a healthier democracy by including marginalized people. Countries that are easy targets for terrorists and coups must maintain healthy democracies to limit invasion and war. 

Clearly, groups, social classes, and marginalized people are seen as “other” by this Republican administration. They do not believe in aid to outside countries. They do not believe in cultures other than their own. 

By creating “others” this administration cruelly discards what they see as unnecessary. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are considered dispensable by this group. This translates into policy that labels everything they are against as “social engineering” and therefore unnecessary. Congressman Langworthy disregards whole populations of people; thus, we must work hard to protect our friends, allies, neighbors, and family from this administration. 

The Republican administration is planning social change to regulate the future development and behavior of our society. They are the ones engaging in the social engineering of America.

Sincerely,

Marita Florini, DNP

Endicott, N.Y.