Rubio orders a freeze on new funding for nearly all US foreign aid programs

Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent an order to all U.S. diplomatic and consular missions ordering a halt to “all new funding commitments, pending review, for foreign assistance programs funded by or through the Department and USAID.” The message was consistent with Executive order President Trump on Monday signed a reassessment of US foreign aid.

Across the U.S. government, “it is currently impossible to access sufficient information in one place to determine whether foreign assistance policies and interests supported by appropriations are not replicated, effective, and sustainable,” the order, obtained by CBS News, said. “is consistent with President Trump’s foreign policy.”

Rubio’s order went on to say that the State Department “needs a central repository from which senior State Department officials, USAID officials, ambassadors, missions, and others can extract sufficiently detailed information from which the Secretary can make judgments.” “Further guidance on the new or upgraded repository and mandatory office submissions to it will be provided shortly,” he added.

Under Rubio’s order, there is an 85-day deadline to complete a “comprehensive, government-wide review of all foreign aid,” and it states that “a report will be submitted to the Secretary of State for his consideration and recommendation.” President.”

The order also appears to affect existing aid programs, stating that “for existing foreign assistance awards, contracting officers and grant officers must issue stop-work orders immediately, consistent with the terms of the relevant awards, until such time as the Secretary determines after review.” “

However, Rubio noted that US foreign military financing to Israel and Egypt is exempt from the order, as are emergency food aid and “salaries and related administrative expenses, including travel, for directly hired US employees, personal service contractors, and local employees.” This includes exceptions to the temporary suspension approved by the Director of the Department of State’s Office of Foreign Assistance.

CBS News has reached out to the State Department for comment.

In its final days, the Biden administration It is said It diverted tens of millions of dollars in US military aid originally intended for Egypt to go to Lebanon instead, to support the Lebanese Armed Forces following the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.

It was not immediately clear how the matter would affect US foreign aid to Ukraine and other countries.