US announces suspension of foreign aid

The US government has announced that all US foreign aid funded by the US Department of State and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has been suspended for review.

In a written statement from the US Department of State, it was stated that the decision was made in accordance with President Donald Trump's "Executive Order on the Reevaluation and Reorganization of US Foreign Assistance," and it was recalled that Trump is opposed to unnecessary spending that provides no return to the American people.

"Reviewing and reorganizing foreign aid on behalf of hardworking taxpayers is as much a moral imperative as it is the right thing to do," the statement said, adding, "Secretary Marco Rubio is proud to protect America's investments by conducting an informed and common-sense review of how foreign aid is spent abroad."

Emphasizing that the American people want a renewed focus on the country's national interests, the statement included Rubio's words: "Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified by the answer to three simple questions: Does it make America safer? Does it make America stronger? Does it make America more prosperous?"