White House drops plan to cut foreign aid

The White House is dropping its proposal to cut $3 billion in foreign aid following a bipartisan rejection of the plan, according to The Washington Post. 

The proposal, which circulated in April, would have clawed back billions in previously-allocated funding from the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

{mosads}Congressional aides told the Post the rollback will not occur. 

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in particular, led the charge against the rescissions package, which would have reduced foreign aid by 10 percent, the Post reported.

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) on Tuesday said the quashed funding freeze was “a welcome decision.”

“Rescinding funds that had been agreed to by Congress and signed into law by the President, in the waning days of the fiscal year, would have set a terrible precedent and harmed programs that further United States interests around the world,” Leahy said in a statement Tuesday, according to the Post.

The White House’s proposal would have targeted funds not already obligated by the State Department and USAID. 

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, in April said the Trump administration has continually worked to undermine foreign aid resources but said Congress has rejected those efforts. 

“Fortunately on a bipartisan basis we’ve consistently rejected those cuts,” Coons said. 

The Senate rejected a $15 billion rescissions package in June.