On February 26, the Trump administration announced that they were terminating thousands of foreign assistance grants and contracts. This move came just over a month after the administration issued a 90-day stop work order and froze almost all U.S. foreign assistance programs while it conducted a review to determine their “programmatic efficiency and consistency with United States foreign policy.”
According to court filings by Pete Marocco, director of the Office of Foreign Assistance at the Department of State and acting deputy administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the review process has concluded. Secretary of State Marco Rubio approved the termination of nearly 5,800 grants and contracts at USAID and 4,100 at the Department of State. Just 1,200 were retained between the two agencies.
The people of the United States are compassionate, generous and empathetic. This decision is directly opposed to our values.
The people of the United States are compassionate, generous, and empathetic. This decision is directly opposed to our values. In 2023 alone Americans donated $29.94 billion to international aid and development. In a recent survey, 89% of Americans said the U.S. should invest at least 1% of its federal budget in foreign assistance, which is the current amount Congress has appropriated. In fact, the majority of Republicans said the U.S. should invest at least 5% of the federal budget, with Democrats and Independents calling for at least 10%.
The Trump administration’s decision to devastate U.S. foreign assistance, made in the name of the American people, means that millions of children who were fed in January will now go hungry. The sick who were receiving treatment will no longer. Peacebuilders and human rights defenders who sought the U.S. as a partner for their futures have been abandoned overnight. Foreign assistance saves lives, invests in human dignity and growth, and supports democracy and human rights.
Foreign assistance is not just charity or a moral good – it is a strategic investment in U.S. national security, global stability, and trade.
Foreign assistance is not just charity or a moral good – it is a strategic investment in U.S. national security, global stability, and trade. It is one of the United States’ most cost-effective tools for promoting peace and stability globally. In fact, conflict prevention and peacebuilding programs save $26-$103 in conflict costs for every dollar invested.
It is not too late for Congress to take action. FCNL remains steadfast in urging Congress to urgently act to prevent the illegal impoundment of appropriated funds and continue to invest in foreign assistance in the fiscal year 2026 and beyond.
