The White home plans to reduce the budget of the U.S. State Department by almost 50%, to close many diplomatic posts, as well as to liquidate the backing of all global organisations, including the UN and NATO Headquarters," said the AP agency, citing American officials.
The White home Management and Budget Office proposal was presented to the State Department last week. It is in a very preliminary phase – so far there is no acceptance from the management of the department or Congress. The vote on the national budget will take place in the coming months.
According to notes from the interior gathering of the Department of State, to which the AP reached, the fresh budget is expected to cut the abroad aid fund administered by the Ministry and the Agency for global improvement (USAID) for coordinating civilian abroad and improvement assistance by half. In 2024, the value of this fund was 52 billion dollars.
The proposal is preliminary
The plan besides includes a simplification by more than 25% of the abroad aid provided by the 2 institutions, the freezing of wages by next year and the limitation of travel and benefits to US abroad service workers. The White home besides plans to halt financing the UN, many of its agencies, major NGOs, as well as NATO Headquarters. Assistance programmes for refugees and immigrants are besides to be abolished.
One of the elder American officials, cited by the AP, described these decisions as "aggressive" in terms of cost cuts.
As the AP noted, although the proposal is preliminary, it already points to the priorities of US president Donald Trump's administration. It besides coincides with cuts in employment and backing levels across the national government, from the Ministry of Education to the USAID
Koal/PAP
