For four years, the U.S. Congress has rebuffed President Donald Trump’s efforts to slash funding to diplomacy and aid. Now, with just days left in office, top Trump officials are making one last push, outlining in an internal memo obtained by Foreign Policy massive budget cuts to the tune of billions of dollars that would target a wide swath of foreign aid programs, including for global vaccine distribution at the height of the coronavirus pandemic.
It is highly unlikely that the proposed cuts, amounting to $27.4 billion, including nearly $17 billion in funding for foreign aid and diplomatic programs, would be approved by Congress, according to multiple congressional sources. But the effort represents a parting shot by administration officials at diplomatic and foreign aid programs that run against the president’s “America first” agenda.
