State Dept Freezes New Funding for Most US Aid Programs

Saturday, January 25, 2025

The State Department ordered a sweeping freeze Friday on new funding for almost all U.S. foreign assistance, making exceptions for emergency food programs and military aid to Israel and Egypt.

Posted by LampLighter at 08:28 PM | 7 COMMENTS | permalink

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... The order threatened a quick halt to many of the billions of dollars in U.S.-funded projects globally to support health, education, development, job training, anti-corruption, security assistance and other efforts.

The U.S. provides more foreign aid globally than any other country, budgeting about $60 billion in 2023, or about 1% of the U.S. budget.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio's order, delivered in a cable sent to U.S. embassies worldwide, specifically exempted emergency food programs, such as those helping to feed millions in a widening famine in warring Sudan.

The cable spells out the execution of the aid-freezing executive order President Donald Trump signed on Monday.

But Friday's order especially disappointed humanitarian officials by not including specific exemptions for life-saving health programs, such as clinics and immunization programs. ...

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2025-01-25 08:29 PM

... Nearly all global health funding from the U.S. has been halted immediately by the Trump administration " and that appears to include PEPFAR, the widely praised program created by President George W. Bush in 2003 to prevent HIV/AIDS.

With its $6.5 billion annual budget, PEPFAR " the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief " provides HIV/AIDS medications for over 20.6 million people, keeping patients alive and preventing them from transmitting the virus. It also offers testing and education on HIV/AIDS. According to a State Department fact sheet, PEPFAR has saved the lives of an estimated 26 million people since its inception.

The program has a history of bipartisan support in Congress. ...