Trump Advocates for Cuts to Foreign Spending

President Donald Trump is pushing Congress to reduce billions in foreign aid as part of his recent retirement proposal.

On Thursday night, Trump formally presented the retirement package to Congress, which aims to slash nearly $5 billion in foreign assistance programs, as reported by Blaze News.

The cuts include significant reductions: $3.2 billion in USAID funding, $322 million from the USAID state Democracy Fund, $521 million in contributions from the State Department to various international organizations, $393 million in peacekeeping contributions from the State Department, and $445 million in peacekeeping aid.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented, “Since January, we’ve saved taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.” He noted, “And as a small set of core programs has moved to the State Department, USAID is officially in close-out mode.” Rubio added a congratulatory note regarding agency changes, mentioning, “Russ is at the helm now.”

In July, Trump received a $9 billion retirement package from Congress, which similarly reduced foreign aid and public broadcasting funding. The Senate narrowly approved the package with a 51-48 vote in an overnight session on July 17th.

The House voted quickly the next day, passing the cuts by 216-213. Notably, Republicans Brian Fitzpatrick and Mike Turner opposed the proposal.

Currently, Congress has 45 days to pass Trump’s retirement plan. They also have to finalize the budget before the funding deadline on September 30th. Despite the pressing schedule, lawmakers have left for an August recess and are expected to return on September 2nd.