Rubio orders freeze of new funding for nearly all U.S. foreign aid programs

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Rubio connected goals, challenges successful medication

Marco Rubio discusses caput of authorities confirmation, goals successful President Trump's 2nd term 06:16

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has sent an bid to each U.S. diplomatic and consular posts instructing a intermission connected "all caller obligations of funding, pending a review, for overseas assistance programs funded by oregon done the Department and USAID." The connection was successful enactment with the executive order President Trump signed connected Monday to reevaluate U.S. overseas aid. 

The order, which was obtained by CBS News, said that crossed the U.S. government, "it is presently intolerable to entree capable accusation successful 1 spot to find whether the overseas assistance policies and interests supported by appropriations are not duplicated, are effective, and are accordant with President Trump's overseas policy." 

Rubio's bid went connected to accidental that the State Department "needs a centralized repository from which elder Department, USAID officials, Ambassadors, missions and others tin gully sufficiently elaborate accusation from which the Secretary tin marque judgments." It added, "Further guidance regarding a caller oregon updated repository and mandatory bureau submissions to it volition beryllium forthcoming."

Under Rubio's order, determination is an 85-day deadline for a "government-wide broad reappraisal of each overseas assistance" to beryllium completed, and, it stated, "a study shall beryllium produced to the Secretary of State for his information and proposal to the President."

The bid besides appears to interaction existent existing assistance programs, stating, "For existing overseas assistance awards, contracting officers and assistance officers shall instantly contented stop-work orders, accordant with the presumption of the applicable award, until specified clip arsenic the Secretary shall determine, pursuing a review."

However, Rubio indicated that U.S. overseas subject financing for Israel and Egypt are exempt from the order, arsenic good arsenic exigency nutrient assistance and "salaries and related administrative expenses, including travel, for U.S. nonstop prosecute employees, idiosyncratic services contractors, and locally employed staff." This includes exceptions to the intermission approved by the State Department Director of Foreign Assistance Office.

In its past days, the Biden medication had reportedly diverted tens of millions of dollars successful U.S. subject assistance primitively intended for Egypt to spell to Lebanon instead, to enactment the Lebanese Armed Forces pursuing the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire deal. 

It is not instantly wide however the bid volition interaction U.S. overseas assistance to Ukraine and different countries.

Camilla Schick

Camilla Schick is simply a British writer successful D.C. and CBS News' Foreign Affairs Producer, covering U.S. overseas relations, the State Department and nationalist security.

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