The United States Congress returns to Washington, D.C., this week after recess, faced with several key budget decisions that will impact whether President Donald Trump’s proposed cuts to foreign aid will be carried out.
Most immediately, Congress will be working to avert a government shutdown by passing a budget authorization for the remainder of 2017. The current authorization expires at the end of the week. If foreign aid cuts are made in this budget extension, it may signal what to expect when Congress debates and produces its 2018 fiscal year budget.
Steep US foreign aid cuts outlined in leaked budget document
President Donald Trump’s budget proposes eliminating funding for development assistance, according to a State Department budget document obtained by Devex.
In statements and hearings following the release of Trump’s so-called skinny budget, members of Congress on both sides of the aisle spoke out against drastic cuts to the foreign aid budget. How they’ll vote, what programs or agencies will get funded, and what level of cuts might emerge are all up in the air.
So where do decisionmakers stand on foreign aid and global development?
Devex examined members of Congress’ voting records on foreign aid bills, as well as their past statements. This interactive tool lets you take a look at where they stand.
This project is not intended to be an exhaustive record of all votes or all members of Congress. Devex chose to include House and Senate leadership as well as the leadership of committees and subcommittees making decisions about foreign aid and budget issues. The data may be updated over time.
Stay tuned to Devex for more news and analysis of what the Trump administration means for global development. Read more coverage here and subscribe to The Development Newswire.
About the authors
Adva Saldinger@AdvaSal
Adva Saldinger is an Associate Editor at Devex, where she covers the intersection of business and international development, as well as U.S. foreign aid policy. From partnerships to trade and social entrepreneurship to impact investing, Adva explores the role the private sector and private capital play in development. A journalist with more than 10 years of experience, she has worked at several newspapers in the U.S. and lived in both Ghana and South Africa.
Lisa Cornishlisa_cornish
Lisa Cornish is a Devex Reporter based in Canberra, where she focuses on the Australian aid community. Lisa formerly worked with News Corp Australia as a data journalist for the national network and was published throughout Australia in major metropolitan and regional newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph in Melbourne, Herald Sun in Melbourne, Courier-Mail in Brisbane, and online through news.com.au. Lisa additionally consults with Australian government providing data analytics, reporting and visualization services. Lisa was awarded the 2014 Journalist of the Year by the New South Wales Institute of Surveyors.
