American fund suspension, State Department tries to clarify Trump's command

The State Department tried Wednesday to clarify President Donald Trump's order to freeze and review the aid the United States provides for the development of other countries. Meanwhile, the U.S. top diplomat tried to calm the created qualms by issuing an emergency order to protect from the 90-day suspension main anti-AIDS programme.

At the White House, President Trump said suspending funds for domestic assistance programmes and those for other countries is within the framework of administration efforts to eradicate “extraordinary use and theft and abuse”.

The order issued in Tuesday's late hours by Secretary of State Marco Rubio rules out humanitarian aid, which he classifies as the <x0mmedicine that saves lives, medical services, food, housing and assistance to ensure the minimum standard of living, as well as administrative costs and supplies needed to enable this aid”.

The United Nations AIDS program welcomed this development, highlighting the value of the United States President's Emergency Plan for Anti-Help AIDS, or PPFAR, that serves 20 million people in 55 countries.

“U n The NAIDS welcomes this exception from the U.S. government, which ensures that millions of people living with HIV virus can continue to take life-saving drugs while additional countries are reevaluating assistance to develop, said executive director Winnie Byajima. “This emergency decision recognizes the vital role of PPFAR in counter-prone measures AIDS and restore hope to people who live with HIV”.

Blocking applications that do not match the agenda “The first American”

In a memorandum sent to journalists on Wednesday, the State Department explained the argument for freezing funds during reviewing programmes and praising early cost cuts, saying that “and at this early stage, more than $11,000 has been prevented in spending that did not match a US agenda”.

The United States spent about $70 billion on aid to other countries during 2023, according to the latest available data.

“rooting waste”, said in memorandum. “We are blocking programmes and exposing activities that conflict with our national interests. None of this would be possible if these programs were to automatically continue”.

The president, who said Wednesday at the White House that “could stay an entire day” and provide examples of fraud and abuse in the US government, underlined some of them.

“we identified and stopped sending $50m to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas”, he said. “Fifty million. And you know what happened to them? They used them as a means to make bombs. How about that?

The State Department echoed this, saying in a statement that: “Without pause, American taxpayers would have offered condoms [and other contraception services] in Gaza, marketing and climate justice services at Gabon, clean energy programmes for women in Fiji, gender development programmes in D.C., family planning throughout Latin America, sex education and pro-borts programmes for young girls worldwide, and more. These types of programs do not make America stronger, safer, or more prosperous”.

The day before, the State Department sent a memorandum citing examples of inappropriate projects, including 102 million dollars to finance humanitarian and nonprofit work of the International Medical Corps, to war-torn Gaza.

A report from USAID says the agency has spent a total budget of about $7 million per condom for men and about $1m in contraception on women in fiscal year 2023. In total, the agency said it distributed about 138 million condoms for men and 1.7 million contraceptions for women worldwide.

According to the report, under the direction of USAID, the main administrative agency for funds provided by the United States for development of other countries, most contraception items were sent to African countries. Jordan was the only country in the Middle East to receive such a shipment, with invasive contraception and the form of grain drugs worth $445,680.

Reaction in Congress

In Congress, lawmakers not only claimed the need for accountability but also stressed that Congress, not the White House, decides how American taxpayers' money is spent.

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“would nevertheless be my hope that help can be reactivated and directed towards Ukraine”, Senator Craig said. And then we'll see in the next budget cycle whether Congress has the will to continue that help”.

“This is a dramatic overcoming of competencies from the White House and from President”, Democrat Senator Mark Kelly said, from Arizona. “It's unprecedented, not required. This is money we authorized in our role as members of the Senate and House of Representatives”. / VOA/