WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday temporarily suspending all U.S. foreign aid programs for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they align with his policy goals.
It was not immediately clear how much aid would initially be affected by the order, as funding for many programs has already been appropriated by Congress and is required to be spent if not already spent.
The order, which many Trumps signed on his first day back in office, said the “foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases are contrary to American values” and ” serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas abroad'. countries that are the direct opposite of harmonious and stable relations within and between countries.”
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Consequently, Trump declared that “no further United States foreign assistance will be disbursed in a manner not fully consistent with the foreign policy of the President of the United States.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing last week that “every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified by the answer to three simple questions :
“Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?” he said.
The order signed by Trump leaves it to Rubio or his designee to make such decisions, in consultation with the Office of Management and Budget. The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development are the main agencies overseeing foreign aid.
Trump has long railed against foreign aid, despite the fact that such aid typically amounts to roughly 1% of the federal budget, except under unusual circumstances, such as the billions in weapons provided to Ukraine. Trump has been critical of the amount shipped to Ukraine to help shore up defenses against the Russian invasion.
The last official accounting of foreign aid in the Biden administration is from mid-December through fiscal year 2023. It shows that $68 billion was obligated for programs abroad ranging from disaster relief to health and pro-democracy initiatives in 204 countries and regions.
It is unlikely that some of the largest recipients of US aid, Israel ($3.3 billion per year), Egypt ($1.5 billion per year) and Jordan ($1.7 billion per year), will see dramatic reductions as these amounts are included in long-term packages that date back decades and in some cases are subject to treaty obligations.
Funding for UN agencies, including peacekeeping, human rights and refugee organizations, have been traditional targets for Republican administrations to cut or otherwise cut. The first Trump administration took steps to reduce foreign aid spending, suspending payments to several UN agencies, including the UN Population Fund, and funding to the Palestinian Authority.
However, the US, previously under Trump, had already withdrawn from the UN Human Rights Council, along with its financial obligations, and has been excluded from funding the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees, or UNRWA, by a bill introduced last year by former President Joe Biden was signed. March.
