The Trump administration has submitted a “rescissions request” to Congress, which would eliminate $9.4 billion in previously appropriated funds for foreign assistance and public broadcasting.
ActionAid USA’s Senior Policy Analyst, Kelly Stone, said:
“The administration is asking Congress to sign off on its cruel and unilateral dismantling of U.S. development assistance. These cuts have already resulted in thousands of preventable deaths around the world; if Congress approves this request, it will be taking full ownership of this literally murderous act.
The funding in question was appropriated by Congress less than six months ago. Agreeing to the administration’s request would be willfully ceding Congress’s constitutional power to an administration that has already proven it has no interest in respecting the separation of powers and the rule of law. For reasons of both policy and process, Congress must reject the administration’s rescissions request and act to ensure the previously appropriated funds are disbursed towards the lifesaving measures for which they were originally intended.”
ENDS
Kelly Stone, ActionAid USA Senior Policy Analyst, is available as a spokesperson. For media requests, please email christal.james@actionaid.org or call 7046659743.
About ActionAid
ActionAid is a global federation working with more than 41 million people living in more than 71 countries, including some of the world’s poorest countries. We want to see a just, fair, and sustainable world in which everybody enjoys the right to a life of dignity and freedom from poverty and oppression. We work to achieve social justice and gender equality and to eradicate poverty, including by shifting power to local organizations and movements.
