Offsetting COVID-19 Relief Spending by Cutting Foreign Aid

Description

The Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY, ACUF Lifetime 97%) amendment (1506) to the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020 would pay for the bill’s spending, which costs $8.3 billion, by rescinding unobligated funding from foreign aid programs. Many of these are Department of State cultural exchange programs whose annual earmarks have been designated for elimination under multiple editions of President Trump’s Major Savings and Reforms plans. For example, the amendment would release funds from non-health activities of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Inter-American Foundation, while privatizing funding for nongovernmental organizations such as the East-West Center ($177.5 million in taxpayer funds since 1997). ACU supports this effort to offset emergency spending by reducing nonessential foreign aid programs as opposed to growing the country’s $27 trillion national debt disaster and supported this amendment. Unfortunately, the Senate voted to table (defeat) the amendment on March 5, 2020 by a vote of 81-15 and the underlying bill was signed into law without this crucial reform. (A “no” vote supported the ACU position.)