The Trump administration plans to eliminate approximately $60 billion in foreign aid spending of 92% of grants issued by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
The figures were included in a State Department memo detailing the results of a 90-day review of US foreign aid ordered by President Trump.
The audit identified roughly 15,000 grants and targeted approximately 10,000 for exclusion. The majority of it was issued by USAID.
The foreign aid grant heading to the Chopping Block includes 5,800 and 9,100 State Department grants out of 6,200 multiple USAID contracts with a $54 billion cut, including a $4.4 billion cut.
The audit was the first Reported by Washington Free Beacon on wednesday.
President Trump ordered a 90-day suspension of foreign aid spending in an executive order issued on the first day of his second term.
The memo points out that the Trump administration was slapped until the end of Wednesday at a federal court order that gives officials to remove and freeze foreign aid funds.
“The state and the USAID moved quickly in response,” the memo said.
Under Trump, the State Department vowed to “reform the way the US provides foreign aid” and correct “decades of institutional drift,” according to Missib.
“Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, needs to justify the answers to three simple questions: Does it make America safe? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?” The memo has concluded.
USAID is one of the first federal agencies in Trump and government efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk, aims to massively reduce the number of allegations of waste, fraud and abuse within the agency.
The Trump administration aims to suck up the intestines of USAID's 10,000 workforce to under 300, leaving state department-appointed staff and responsibility.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was appointed acting director for USAID earlier this month amid downsizing efforts.
Chief Justice John Roberts suspended a federal court order implied in the memo late Wednesday night.
The administration stay was held at Washington-based US District Judge Amir Ali at 11:59pm while the Supreme Court considers the Trump administration's request to block the orders of lower court judges.
The nonprofit AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition and Journalism Development Network, international development company DAI Global and refugee aid organization HIAS (all receive funding from the State Department and USAID) sued the Trump administration for a 90-day freezing of foreign aid.
The group claims that the president has surpassed his authority by effectively abolishing the USAID, an independent institution, and reducing congressional approved spending.
Roberts asked the plaintiffs in their lawsuit to meet the Trump administration's demands by noon Thursday.
Trump administration officials in court filing Wednesday indicated that USAID has begun paying nearly $2 billion in foreign aid for work prior to January 24, suspended under a 90-day freeze, according to the Associated Press.
The filing said the Secretary of State ordered previous invoices from plaintiffs to be “fastered for payment in order to protect goodwill efforts to comply without the usual review process.”
