[Source / Observer Network, Ruan Jiaqi]

President Trump is vigorously pushing forward with cuts to the government budget, striking a blow at the U.S. State Department.

According to reports on April 14 by The New York Times and The Washington Post, two American officials revealed that according to an internal memo dated April 10, starting from October 1st of the next fiscal year, the Trump administration may cut the budget for the U.S. State Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in half. Humanitarian aid, global health programs, and financial support for international organizations will all face significant reductions.

A copy of the memo obtained by American media shows that in the early budget reduction proposals put forth by the White House Office of Management and Budget for the next fiscal year, the total budget for all activities conducted by the State Department and USAID will be only $28.4 billion. This represents a decrease of $27 billion compared to the funding level approved by Congress for the fiscal year 2025, a reduction of 48%.

The proposal states that USAID will be fully incorporated into the State Department, with a 54% cut to humanitarian aid funds and a 55% reduction in global health project funds.

Funding support for international organizations will see particularly large cuts, with nearly 90% of such funds proposed to be canceled. The memo indicates that funding support for organizations such as the United Nations, NATO, and another 20 organizations will be terminated, while targeted donations to a small number of organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and the International Civil Aviation Organization will be retained.

The memo also mentions a complete cut in funding support for international peacekeeping missions, citing "recent mission failures," but does not provide specific details in the document.

In addition, all educational and cultural exchange programs managed by the State Department will be reduced, including the flagship international education program established by Congress in 1946, the Fulbright Exchange Program.

On February 5, 2025, locals gathered to protest near the Capitol after being placed on administrative leave by USAID's global employees. Oriental IC

Some people quickly expressed concern. According to media reports, the American Foreign Service Association issued a statement after reviewing the memo, calling on Congress to veto any budget proposals that include such cuts, describing the proposal as "reckless and dangerous." The statement also reiterated the claim that this would enhance the strength of rivals like China and Russia, which are eager to fill the void left by America's withdrawal.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Democrat from New Hampshire, holds a similar argument. In a statement on Monday, she also used China and Russia as reasons to oppose cuts to NATO funding, questioning why we should reduce funding support for NATO at a time when Europe is in flames and security threats on the continent are constantly increasing.

Senator Brian Schatz, a member of the Appropriations Committee and Democrat from Hawaii, warned that these budget cuts measures "do not make America safer." He demanded an explanation from Secretary of State Rubio.

However, since the memo began circulating in Washington last week, neither Rubio nor the State Department has made an official statement.

An informed official told The Washington Post that the State Department is also formulating a plan to streamline its department, planning to lay off tens of thousands of employees out of the 80,000 staff, and close many U.S. consulates and facilities.

Media reports suggest that various agencies and departments have only one week left to submit detailed streamlining plans to the White House. The memo will be part of the process of exchanging proposals and suggestions between the White House Office of Management and Budget and the State Department. Another American official familiar with the State Department's assessment disclosed that the White House is likely to submit a final budget proposal to Congress in late April that is roughly similar in content to the memo.

It is worth noting that in addition to the above-mentioned cuts, the memo also states that the Trump administration intends to recover $20 billion from unused funds in the State Department's current fiscal year and turn it over to the Treasury.

In addition, the memo envisages setting up a new project called the "America First Opportunity Fund" (A1OF) within the U.S. Treasury, with a budget of around $2 billion, to be used for what is described as "long-term and emerging priorities of the Trump administration." The memo claims that some of these funds can also be used to support the United Nations or peacekeeping operations.

"This looks like secret funds. The administration is essentially trying to gain more discretionary funds," criticized Brett Bruen, a former official at the State Department and National Security Council who served as Director of Global Engagement under the Obama administration.

Bruen specifically pointed out that the memo also plans to cut funds for the department within the State Department responsible for oversight, "while they claim enhancing efficiency is their top priority, they are cutting back on oversight capabilities."

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7493363758589526563/

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