Foreign assistance is one of the more misunderstood items in the federal budget. In creates an enormous bang for a relatively small buck. American aid supports thousands of programs across 204 countries. It provides lifesaving drugs for millions of people afflicted with HIV/AIDS and malaria. It purifies drinking water, helps rid former war zones of leftover land mines, and trains local police to combat human trafficking and the illegal wildlife trade.
Editorial Board The Washington Post
Trump’s freeze on foreign aid will hurt America
An _expression_ of soft power, it provides more bang for the buck than almost any other budget item.
February 2, 2025
For many people around the world, aid is also the most visible symbol of U.S. power — soft power — and a tangible demonstration of America’s decency. Amounting to $68 billion in fiscal 2023, foreign aid is only about 1 percent of the federal budget. Yet it has long been in the crosshairs of some fiscal conservatives and other critics who deem it a waste of taxpayer dollars that could be better spent at home.
On President Donald Trump’s first day back in office, he signed an executive order suspending all foreign aid for 90 days, pending a review, saying the “foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio followed up with a cable on Jan. 24 to all U.S. diplomatic outposts stopping work on most foreign aid programs during the review period, which is supposed to be completed by the time the freeze expires. Initially, exemptions were made only for emergency food aid and military assistance to Israel and Egypt — and conspicuously not for aid to Ukraine or Taiwan. Then on Tuesday, perhaps bowing to global outrage and criticism, Rubio issued an additional waiver for lifesaving humanitarian assistance.
The secretary said the programs would be reviewed for inefficiencies, duplication and alignment with the United States’ goals — that is, Trump’s “America First” agenda. During Rubio’s Senate confirmation hearing, and in his statement announcing the freeze, he said: “Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?”
Periodic reviews are a good idea, and Rubio is correct to want to root out inefficiencies and duplication. Programs that have outlived their usefulness should be ended. However, a sweeping order freezing most foreign aid programs risks causing immediate harm. Though the new waiver for lifesaving medicine, medical services and shelter is a welcome reprieve, for many other vital programs, even a three-month suspension could do damage.
Consider just a few of the programs taxpayers fund, starting with PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, launched under President George W. Bush in 2003. By the end of last year, PEPFAR was providing antiretroviral treatment for nearly 21 million people in 55 countries and delivering pre-exposure prophylaxis (to prevent people from contracting HIV) to 2.5 million people. In South Africa, PEPFAR covers much of the costs for staff to administer the drugs, for HIV-prevention messaging and for supporting the country’s HIV research. In many countries, health officials were gravely concerned about the possible pause in spending. Fortunately, on Saturday, the State Department said the pause will not apply to PEPFAR.
The United States is also the world’s largest donor to the global fight against malaria, mostly through the President’s Malaria Initiative, known as PMI. In fiscal 2024, Congress allocated $795 million to the U.S. Agency for International Development for the effort to diagnose and treat malaria and to distribute insecticide-treated mosquito nets. With even a short suspension of this aid, prevention gains could be reversed, especially in malaria-prone cities such as Lagos, Nigeria, African health officials warn.
The aid suspension also will hamper refugee resettlement. The United States assists civic groups that help people, such as Afghan special immigrant visa holders, by providing food, housing and child care to help them settle into American communities and find a path toward self-sufficiency. Many of these refugees will open small businesses, or fill jobs in factories and warehouses where there are shortages of American workers.
Aid for democracy promotion helps fledgling democracies manage elections, strengthens court systems, and funds human rights groups, independent media outlets and labor groups advocating for workers’ rights.
All in all, foreign aid is an extraordinarily effective policy tool. Helping eradicate poverty and promote democracy generates goodwill that makes the United States stronger. Combating life-threatening pathogens and removing the causes of economic and social instability make the world safer. Expanding global prosperity creates new markets for American products.
Rubio’s waiver should expand to include all programs vital to health and well-being. And the secretary should see that the review is done quickly and fairly, so that the flow of aid can resume before the pause does lasting damage.