Trump to propose 'dramatic reductions' in foreign aid

The White House budget director confirmed Saturday that the Trump administration will propose "fairly dramatic reductions" in the US foreign aid budget later this month, the Daily Star reported on Sunday.

Earlier this week, the US administration said it plans to propose to Congress cuts in the budgets for the US State Department and Agency for International Development by about one third.

"We are going to propose to reduce foreign aid and we are going to propose to spend that money here," White House Office of Management Budget director Mick Mulvaney said, adding the proposed cuts would include "fairly dramatic reductions in foreign aid."

Mulvaney said the cuts in foreign aid would help the administration fund a proposed $54 billion expansion of the US military budget.

"The overriding message is fairly straightforward: less money spent overseas means more money spent here," said Mulvaney, a former South Carolina Representative.

The United States spends just over $50 billion annually on the State Department and USAID, compared with $600 billion or more each year on the Pentagon.

Source: MENA