US cuts to foreign aid totalling $10 billion will not affect Israel and Egypt, according to legislation unveiled on Wednesday.The cuts were proposed by President Donald Trump’s administration to pay for the proposed “border wall” with Mexico but the cuts are less than the initially proposed $17 billion.
The Republic-lead panels in the House of Representatives and Senate released spending bills in order to fund government agencies and departments in 2018 as well as the infamous wall for which the down payment is $1.6 billion. The funding will also be allocated towards an additional 1,000 border agents. The funding cuts and allocation has received criticism for not being directed at necessary foreign aid and domestic programmes.
According to California Democratic Congresswoman, Lucille Roybal-Allard, the cuts are “targeting people who have lived, work, and pay taxes in this country for years or even decades with no criminal infractions.”
The trauma that is being inflicted on entire communities throughout our country cannot be overstated.
Washington also announced plans to slash US payments to the United Nations by $600 million and its aid vulnerable nations by $4.2 billion.A $528 million cut to the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget has also been proposed.
Egypt has traditionally received $1.5 billion in aid packages annually but debates on whether it should continue have arisen since the 2013 military coup lead by Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi which has seen the country adopt repressive measures and a crackdown on dissidence.
A $38 billion military aid package deal over the next decade to Israel which will go into effect in 2019 was approved by the US. It is the largest package deal ever granted.
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