President Donald Trump implemented a pause on most American foreign aid on Monday pending a review period of ninety days as one of several actions he took after his inauguration.
The executive order contended that the “foreign aid industry and bureaucracy” are not “aligned with American interests” and in many cases are “antithetical to American values.” Trump added that the policy of the government will be that no more foreign assistance “shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States.”
The action directed all department and agency heads “with responsibility for United States foreign development assistance programs” to pause disbursements which fund foreign governments, international organizations, contractors, and non-governmental organizations.
But the governments of Israel, Egypt, and Jordan, which are some of the largest recipients of foreign aid, are unlikely to see significant reductions since those funds are linked to treaties.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was officially sworn into office on Tuesday morning, was told to partner with the Office of Management and Budget in order to oversee reviews of “each foreign assistance program” and make determinations within ninety days as to their efficacy.
Trump issued a separate directive to Rubio on Monday instructing him that “from this day forward, the foreign policy of the United States shall champion core American interests and always put America and American citizens first,” as well as ordering him to issue guidances bringing State Department policies and personnel “in line with an America First foreign policy.”
President Joe Biden oversaw a drastic increase in the amount of funds devoted to foreign aid, with expenditures rising from $53 billion in obligations to $68 billion between 2021 and 2023.
Many critics of foreign aid programs observe the costs of the programs, as well as the fact that some foreign aid can be seized by dictators or terrorist organizations before reaching citizens.
