Trump-Backed Spending Cuts Slash Foreign Aid by $8 Billion

Strategic Insights -

The United States Senate has approved a $8 billion package of foreign aid cuts, a move widely seen as a test of how easily senators will back spending reductions recommended by President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The package, which was passed in a 51-48 vote, cancels $9 billion in spending already approved by Congress, including $1 billion allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Senate package cuts $8 billion in foreign aid, targeting the now-defunct US Agency for International Development (USAID) and programs aimed at boosting economies and strengthening democratic institutions in developing countries.
  • Nearly 500 tonnes of high-energy biscuits intended to feed 27,000 starving children in Afghanistan and Pakistan will be incinerated due to the Trump administration's decision to shut down USAID.
  • The package also cancels $800 million for a program assisting with emergency shelter, water, sanitation, and family reunification for people fleeing their homelands, as well as $496 million for food, water, and healthcare in countries affected by natural disasters or conflicts.
  • Democrats argued that weakening foreign aid efforts would diminish the US's global status and leave a vacancy that would be filled by rivals like China, while Republicans claimed that money was being wasted on liberal programs.
  • The cuts to public broadcasting, including $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, sparked fierce objections from Democrats, who said they would remove a key public service that performs a vital role, particularly during emergencies.
  • Senator Brian Schatz said that cutting food aid and disease prevention measures was having life-and-death consequences, while Senator Lindsey Graham believed that money was being wasted on "a bunch of junk and liberal programs."

Statistics:

  • $8 billion: The amount cut from foreign aid expenditures in the Senate package.
  • $9.1 billion: The total amount of spending canceled, including $1.1 billion allocated to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
  • $4.15 billion: The funding cut from programs aimed at boosting economies and strengthening democratic institutions in developing countries.
  • $800 million: The funding cut for a program assisting with emergency shelter, water, sanitation, and family reunification for people fleeing their homelands.
  • $496 million: The funding cut for food, water, and healthcare in countries affected by natural disasters or conflicts.
  • 500 tonnes: The high-energy biscuits intended to feed 27,000 starving children in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which will be incinerated due to the Trump administration's decision to shut down USAID.

Sources:

  • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/6/has-doge-really-saved-the-us-government-180bn
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/30/obama-bush-decry-travesty-of-trumps-gutting-of-usaid-on-its-last-day
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/16/usaid-food-for-nearly-30000-hungry-kids-to-be-destroyed-official