WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump’s plan to impose sharp cuts to foreign aid and domestic programs is running into opposition in Congress – and that’s just from his Republican allies.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who once headed the panel responsible for the foreign aid budget, stressed the need for robust spending as word circulated on Capitol Hill about the GOP president’s proposal. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a primary rival of Trump, delivered an impassioned speech on the Senate floor in defense of foreign aid.
“The diplomatic portion of the federal budget is very important and you get results a lot cheaper frequently than you do on the defense side,” McConnell told reporters. “So speaking for myself, I’m not in favor of reducing the (foreign aid) account to that extent.”
Trump’s draft budget plan would add $54 billion to the Pentagon’s projected budget, financed by taking an equal amount from domestic agencies and departments. Diplomacy and foreign aid would face a 37 percent cut that would be felt across the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Rubio argued that spending on foreign aid is critical to the U.S. economy and national security.