Sec. Rubio Shocks State Department Officials, Orders Immediate Halt to Foreign Aid
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has begun his work as secretary of state by building on an executive order from President Donald Trump that pauses foreign aid.
In the executive order issued Monday, Trump sought to rein in foreign aid, pausing much foreign assistance for 90 days until a review could be completed to determine whether the aid was in line with the Trump administration’s foreign policy.
“The United States foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values,” the order declared.
“They serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries.
“It is the policy of United States that no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States.”
On Friday, according to a Politico report, Rubio issued an order that appears to go further than Trump’s and could include American aid to Ukraine.
Rubio’s directive shocked State Department staffers, Politico reported, citing sources it did not name.
“State just totally went nuclear on foreign assistance,” Politico quoted what it said was a State Department official as saying.
Rubio’s order allows military aid for Egypt and Israel to continue, according to Politico.
Emergency food aid and some expenses approved prior to the date of the order will be allowed.
Stopping aid to determine its impact drew the expected complaints.
“This stop-work order is cruel and deadly,” Asia Russell, the executive director of Health GAP, a nonprofit that provides treatment for those with HIV, told Politico.
Politico noted an HIV treatment program that largely targets Africa has received about $5 billion in recent years.
“To impound these funds would be unconstitutional. Absolutely,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, according to NBC.
NBC reported that Rubio’s memo to staff said federal agencies “shall not provide foreign assistance funded by or through the Department and USAID without the Secretary of State’s authorization or the authorization of his designee.”
A full government review of assistance programs “shall be completed, and a report shall be produced to the Secretary of State for his consideration and recommendation to the President” within 85 days, according to the memo.
“For existing foreign assistance awards, contracting officers and grant officers shall immediately issue stop-work orders, consistent with the terms of the relevant award, until such time as the Secretary shall determine, following a review,” Rubio’s memo stated, according to CBS.
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