Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Bipartisan Group of US Lawmakers Opposes Plan to Freeze Foreign Aid

VOA News

   Some material for this report came from RFE/RL.

   Republican and Democratic lawmakers joined forces to oppose moves by
   the White House that critics fear could lead to sharp cuts in foreign
   aid forinternational health, narcotics and peacekeeping initiatives,
   and development assistance.
   Members of the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations
   committees sent a letter Friday to the Office of Management and Budget
   (OMB) expressing "deep concern" after it had instructed the State
   Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to
   freeze about $4 billion in their budgets until it reviewed any money
   that hadn't yet been spent.
   Critics have said the freeze could be the first step in making cuts to
   foreign aid.The lawmakers sent the letter to the OMB seeking to head
   off such a move and threatening a response if the administration moved
   ahead with cuts. They also pointed out that, under the Constitution, it
   is Congress that appropriatesmoney, which they said was "essential" to
   U.S. global leadership and security.
   "Slashing crucial diplomacy and development programming would be
   detrimental to our national security while also undermining Congress'
   intended use for these funds," said the letter, signed by Sens. James
   Risch, R-Idaho, and Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and Reps. Eliot Engel,
   D-N.Y., and Michael McCaul, R-Texas.

   'Direct affront'
   In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, "It would be inappropriate for any
   administration, under any circumstance, to attempt to override
   Congress' most fundamental power. Such action would be
   precedent-setting and a direct affront to the separation of powers
   principle upon which our nation was built."

.