Representative Gabe Amo (D-RI), the Democratic Vice Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has introduced new legislation aimed at limiting the Secretary of State’s role to a single government position.
The Reaffirming Unified Boundaries for Integrity and Oversight (R.U.B.I.O.) Act seeks to ensure the Secretary of State can focus exclusively on managing U.S. foreign policy.
This move comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio seemed unaware of delays in critical food aid contracts during a recent House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.
“Foreign aid should be a foreign policy priority, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio is dropping the ball. In my questioning yesterday in the House Foreign Affairs Committee, our Secretary didn’t know the true state of the delayed contracts for Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food aid manufactured by Rhode Island nonprofit, Edesia Nutrition, meant to save the lives of starving children around the world” said Congressman Amo (D-RI). “To ensure Secretary Rubio can focus on preventing children from starving while supporting American jobs, I’m introducing the R.U.B.I.O. Act to prevent the Secretary of State from holding more than one job. This bill just makes sure our food aid programs don’t fall through the cracks and the Secretary has the time and energy to do his job well.”
Currently, Rubio holds multiple positions in addition to Secretary of State, including National Security Advisor, National Archivist, and U.S.A.I.D. Administrator. The proposed legislation aims to address issues in foreign aid management, particularly the distribution of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) produced by Rhode Island-based Edesia Nutrition.
For months, Amo has been pushing Rubio to resolve administrative problems at the State Department that threaten both jobs in Rhode Island and the delivery of life-saving aid to children in need. In January, Amo requested information about the impact of the Trump administration’s foreign aid pause on RUTF production and delivery. He later criticized Rubio for missing a February 7 deadline to provide clarity on foreign aid distribution.
Amo is also leading a bipartisan effort to secure robust funding for American-made RUTF production and distribution in the fiscal year 2026 budget. The congressman believes that by limiting the Secretary of State to a single role, the department can better focus on critical foreign policy issues, including the timely distribution of life-saving food aid.
Watch Vice Ranking Member Amo’s Questioning of Secretary Rubio
