Amid the confusion surrounding the Trump administration’s decision to temporarily halt most U.S. foreign assistance, the State Department put out an FAQ media note today — but it seemed to focus more on defending the aid freeze than on answering the myriad questions that the aid community has about what is going on.
Yesterday, hopes were raised after Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a waiver exempting “life-saving humanitarian assistance” from the 90-day freeze, but questions remain about what exactly falls under that definition.
On a broader level, the FAQ — titled “Prioritizing America’s National Interests One Dollar at A Time” — further cemented the administration’s will to move full steam ahead with its "America First" action plan and its push to nix foreign assistance programs that it deems wasteful.
About the author
Anna Gawel
Anna Gawel is the Managing Editor of Devex. She previously worked as the managing editor of The Washington Diplomat, the flagship publication of D.C.’s diplomatic community. She’s had hundreds of articles published on world affairs, U.S. foreign policy, politics, security, trade, travel and the arts on topics ranging from the impact of State Department budget cuts to Caribbean efforts to fight climate change. She was also a broadcast producer and digital editor at WTOP News and host of the Global 360 podcast. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Maryland in College Park.
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