Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
Presidential Actions
REEVALUATING AND REALIGNING UNITED STATES FOREIGN AID
EXECUTIVE ORDER
January 20, 2025
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. The United States foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values. They serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of United States that no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States.
Sec. 3. (a) 90-day pause in United States foreign development assistance for assessment of programmatic efficiencies and consistency with United States foreign policy. All department and agency heads with responsibility for United States foreign development assistance programs shall immediately pause new obligations and disbursements of development assistance funds to foreign countries and implementing non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and contractors pending reviews of such programs for programmatic efficiency and consistency with United States foreign policy, to be conducted within 90 days of this order. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) shall enforce this pause through its apportionment authority.
(b) Reviews of United States foreign assistance programs. Reviews of each foreign assistance program shall be ordered by the responsible department and agency heads under guidelines provided by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of OMB.
(c) Determinations. The responsible department and agency heads, in consultation with the Director of OMB, will make determinations within 90 days of this order on whether to continue, modify, or cease each foreign assistance program based upon the review recommendations, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State.
(d) Resumption of paused development assistance funding. New obligations and disbursements of foreign development assistance funds may resume for a program prior to the end of the 90-day period if a review is conducted, and the Secretary of State or his designee, in consultation with the Director of OMB, decide to continue the program in the same or modified form. Additionally, any other new foreign assistance programs and obligations must be approved by the Secretary of State or his designee, in consultation with the Director of OMB.
(e) Waiver. The Secretary of State may waive the pause in Section 3(a) for specific programs.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 20, 2025.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presiden...ing-and-realigning-united-states-foreign-aid/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Emergency Humanitarian Waiver to Foreign Assistance Pause
The Secretary of State
January 28, 2025
To: All implementing U.S. government agencies, partners, and NGOs.
For the purposes of carrying out the President’s Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, I am approving an additional waiver of the pause under the Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid and my subsequent direction of January 24, 2025, for life-saving humanitarian assistance during the period of the review.
Implementers of existing life-saving humanitarian assistance programs should continue or resume work if they have stopped, subject to the following directions. This resumption is temporary in nature, and except by separate waiver or as required to carry out this waiver, no new contracts shall be entered into.
https://www.state.gov/emergency-humanitarian-waiver-to-foreign-assistance-pause/
-------------------------------------------------
Prioritizing America’s National Interests One Dollar at A Time
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
January 29, 2025
Americans are a hardworking and generous people, who have sacrificed their blood and treasure to help their fellow man across the globe. But no foreign nation is entitled to those benefits, and no foreign aid program is above scrutiny.
The previously announced 90-day pause and review of U.S. foreign aid is already paying dividends to our country and our people. We are rooting out waste. We are blocking woke programs. And we are exposing activities that run contrary to our national interests. None of this would be possible if these programs remained on autopilot.
Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. And that is exactly what we are doing right now – prioritizing America’s core national interests one dollar at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the United States spend annually on foreign aid?
Even setting aside generous support for Ukraine over the past several years, the U.S. is spending roughly $40 billion in foreign aid annually. That is more than the GDP of multiple U.S. states and accounts for four out of every 10 dollars in global humanitarian aid. Americans deserve transparency and accountability for every dollar we spend, especially when it is spent abroad instead of at home.
Why did the U.S. State Department initiate a 90-day pause on foreign aid?
It is impossible to evaluate programs on autopilot because the participants – both inside and outside of government – have little to no incentive to share programmatic-level details so long as the dollars continue to flow. A temporary pause, with commonsense waivers for truly life-threatening situations, is the only way to scrutinize and prevent waste.
What type of spending has been prevented by the pause?
Without the pause, U.S. taxpayers would have provided condoms (and other contraceptive services) in Gaza, climate justice marketing services in Gabon, clean energy programs for women in Fiji, support for gender development programs, family planning throughout Latin America, sex education and pro-abortion programs for young girls globally, and much more. These types of programs do not make America stronger, safer, or more prosperous.
What type of funding is permitted to move forward?
The original order, dated January 24, 2025, contained several important exceptions, including “emergency food assistance,” and outlined the process to secure additional exceptions. Requests were reviewed and, where needed, approved within hours. Subsequently, the Secretary approved a broad waiver on January 28, 2025, for humanitarian aid, which is defined as “life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs as necessary to deliver such assistance.”
Have any waivers been granted for non-humanitarian assistance?
Critical national security waivers have been granted, including to ensure the protection of U.S. personnel overseas, facilitate the repatriation of illegal aliens, enforce non-proliferation obligations, and much more. As mentioned, exceptions were reviewed and, where needed, approved within hours.
What is the process to secure a waiver?
The Department provided straight forward guidance on January 24, 2025, encouraging bureaus that manage foreign assistance to send waiver requests with the following information:
Bureau/Office/Mission Name
Program Name
Program Description
Program Location(s)
Intended Programmatic Outcome
Justification for Waiver
Fiscal and Earmark information
That process was used successfully dozens of times in the first several days alone; however, many requests failed to provide the level of detail necessary to allow a thorough evaluation. Subsequent guidance, sent on January 28, 2025, encouraged implementing partners and NGOs to work through their U.S. government agency partners on any additional requests.
How much has this process saved U.S. taxpayers?
In just a few days, the Department received billions of dollars in waiver requests. Many of those requests are still under a merit-based review as they are not considered emergency or life threatening; however, even at this early stage, over $1,000,000,000 in spending not aligned with an America First agenda has been prevented.
https://www.state.gov/prioritizing-americas-national-interests-one-dollar-at-a-time/
------------------------------------------------------------
At USAID, Waste and Abuse Runs Deep
February 3, 2025
For decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been unaccountable to taxpayers as it funnels massive sums of money to the ridiculous — and, in many cases, malicious — pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, with next-to-no oversight.
Here are only a few examples of the WASTE and ABUSE:
...
https://www.whitehouse.gov/uncategorized/2025/02/at-usaid-waste-and-abuse-runs-deep/
----------------------------------------------------------------
Secretary Marco Rubio Appointed as Acting Administrator for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
February 3, 2025
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long strayed from its original mission of responsibly advancing American interests abroad, and it is now abundantly clear that significant portions of USAID funding are not aligned with the core national interests of the United States.
As an interim step toward gaining control and better understanding over the agency’s activity, President Donald J. Trump appointed Secretary Marco Rubio as Acting Administrator.
Secretary Rubio has also now notified Congress that a review of USAID’s foreign assistance activities is underway with an eye towards potential reorganization.
As we evaluate USAID and ensure it is in alignment with an America First agenda and the efforts of the State Department, we will continue to protect the American people’s interests and ensure their tax dollars are not wasted.
https://www.state.gov/secretary-mar...s-agency-for-international-development-usaid/
---------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.usaid.gov/
REEVALUATING AND REALIGNING UNITED STATES FOREIGN AID
EXECUTIVE ORDER
January 20, 2025
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose. The United States foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values. They serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries.
Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of United States that no further United States foreign assistance shall be disbursed in a manner that is not fully aligned with the foreign policy of the President of the United States.
Sec. 3. (a) 90-day pause in United States foreign development assistance for assessment of programmatic efficiencies and consistency with United States foreign policy. All department and agency heads with responsibility for United States foreign development assistance programs shall immediately pause new obligations and disbursements of development assistance funds to foreign countries and implementing non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and contractors pending reviews of such programs for programmatic efficiency and consistency with United States foreign policy, to be conducted within 90 days of this order. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) shall enforce this pause through its apportionment authority.
(b) Reviews of United States foreign assistance programs. Reviews of each foreign assistance program shall be ordered by the responsible department and agency heads under guidelines provided by the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of OMB.
(c) Determinations. The responsible department and agency heads, in consultation with the Director of OMB, will make determinations within 90 days of this order on whether to continue, modify, or cease each foreign assistance program based upon the review recommendations, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State.
(d) Resumption of paused development assistance funding. New obligations and disbursements of foreign development assistance funds may resume for a program prior to the end of the 90-day period if a review is conducted, and the Secretary of State or his designee, in consultation with the Director of OMB, decide to continue the program in the same or modified form. Additionally, any other new foreign assistance programs and obligations must be approved by the Secretary of State or his designee, in consultation with the Director of OMB.
(e) Waiver. The Secretary of State may waive the pause in Section 3(a) for specific programs.
Sec. 4. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
THE WHITE HOUSE,
January 20, 2025.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presiden...ing-and-realigning-united-states-foreign-aid/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Emergency Humanitarian Waiver to Foreign Assistance Pause
The Secretary of State
January 28, 2025
To: All implementing U.S. government agencies, partners, and NGOs.
For the purposes of carrying out the President’s Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, I am approving an additional waiver of the pause under the Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid and my subsequent direction of January 24, 2025, for life-saving humanitarian assistance during the period of the review.
Implementers of existing life-saving humanitarian assistance programs should continue or resume work if they have stopped, subject to the following directions. This resumption is temporary in nature, and except by separate waiver or as required to carry out this waiver, no new contracts shall be entered into.
- (a) For purposes of this waiver, life-saving humanitarian assistance applies to core life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs as necessary to deliver such assistance.
(b) This waiver does not apply to activities that involve abortions, family planning, conferences, administrative costs other than those covered by 1(a) above, gender or DEI ideology programs, transgender surgeries, or other non-life saving assistance.
(c) Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) may only be used to support activities under section 1(a) and for repatriation of third country nationals to their country of origin or safe-third-country. - Additional waivers or exceptions for humanitarian assistance not covered by this waiver may be sought through the Director of Foreign Assistance at the Department of State. Implementing partners and NGOs are to work through their U.S. government agency partners on such requests.
https://www.state.gov/emergency-humanitarian-waiver-to-foreign-assistance-pause/
-------------------------------------------------
Prioritizing America’s National Interests One Dollar at A Time
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
January 29, 2025
Americans are a hardworking and generous people, who have sacrificed their blood and treasure to help their fellow man across the globe. But no foreign nation is entitled to those benefits, and no foreign aid program is above scrutiny.
The previously announced 90-day pause and review of U.S. foreign aid is already paying dividends to our country and our people. We are rooting out waste. We are blocking woke programs. And we are exposing activities that run contrary to our national interests. None of this would be possible if these programs remained on autopilot.
Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. And that is exactly what we are doing right now – prioritizing America’s core national interests one dollar at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the United States spend annually on foreign aid?
Even setting aside generous support for Ukraine over the past several years, the U.S. is spending roughly $40 billion in foreign aid annually. That is more than the GDP of multiple U.S. states and accounts for four out of every 10 dollars in global humanitarian aid. Americans deserve transparency and accountability for every dollar we spend, especially when it is spent abroad instead of at home.
Why did the U.S. State Department initiate a 90-day pause on foreign aid?
It is impossible to evaluate programs on autopilot because the participants – both inside and outside of government – have little to no incentive to share programmatic-level details so long as the dollars continue to flow. A temporary pause, with commonsense waivers for truly life-threatening situations, is the only way to scrutinize and prevent waste.
What type of spending has been prevented by the pause?
Without the pause, U.S. taxpayers would have provided condoms (and other contraceptive services) in Gaza, climate justice marketing services in Gabon, clean energy programs for women in Fiji, support for gender development programs, family planning throughout Latin America, sex education and pro-abortion programs for young girls globally, and much more. These types of programs do not make America stronger, safer, or more prosperous.
What type of funding is permitted to move forward?
The original order, dated January 24, 2025, contained several important exceptions, including “emergency food assistance,” and outlined the process to secure additional exceptions. Requests were reviewed and, where needed, approved within hours. Subsequently, the Secretary approved a broad waiver on January 28, 2025, for humanitarian aid, which is defined as “life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence assistance, as well as supplies and reasonable administrative costs as necessary to deliver such assistance.”
Have any waivers been granted for non-humanitarian assistance?
Critical national security waivers have been granted, including to ensure the protection of U.S. personnel overseas, facilitate the repatriation of illegal aliens, enforce non-proliferation obligations, and much more. As mentioned, exceptions were reviewed and, where needed, approved within hours.
What is the process to secure a waiver?
The Department provided straight forward guidance on January 24, 2025, encouraging bureaus that manage foreign assistance to send waiver requests with the following information:
Bureau/Office/Mission Name
Program Name
Program Description
Program Location(s)
Intended Programmatic Outcome
Justification for Waiver
Fiscal and Earmark information
That process was used successfully dozens of times in the first several days alone; however, many requests failed to provide the level of detail necessary to allow a thorough evaluation. Subsequent guidance, sent on January 28, 2025, encouraged implementing partners and NGOs to work through their U.S. government agency partners on any additional requests.
How much has this process saved U.S. taxpayers?
In just a few days, the Department received billions of dollars in waiver requests. Many of those requests are still under a merit-based review as they are not considered emergency or life threatening; however, even at this early stage, over $1,000,000,000 in spending not aligned with an America First agenda has been prevented.
https://www.state.gov/prioritizing-americas-national-interests-one-dollar-at-a-time/
------------------------------------------------------------
At USAID, Waste and Abuse Runs Deep
February 3, 2025
For decades, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been unaccountable to taxpayers as it funnels massive sums of money to the ridiculous — and, in many cases, malicious — pet projects of entrenched bureaucrats, with next-to-no oversight.
Here are only a few examples of the WASTE and ABUSE:
- $1.5 million to “advance diversity equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities”
- $70,000 for production of a “DEI musical” in Ireland
- $2.5 million for electric vehicles for Vietnam
- $47,000 for a “transgender opera” in Colombia
- $32,000 for a “transgender comic book” in Peru
- $2 million for sex changes and “LGBT activism” in Guatemala
- $6 million to fund tourism in Egypt
- Hundreds of thousands of dollars for a non-profit linked to designated terrorist organizations — even AFTER an inspector general launched an investigation
- Millions to EcoHealth Alliance — which was involved in research at the Wuhan lab
- “Hundreds of thousands of meals that went to al Qaeda-affiliated fighters in Syria”
- Funding to print “personalized” contraceptives birth control devices in developing countries
- Hundreds of millions of dollars to fund “irrigation canals, farming equipment, and even fertilizer used to support the unprecedented poppy cultivation and heroin production in Afghanistan,” benefiting the Taliban
...
https://www.whitehouse.gov/uncategorized/2025/02/at-usaid-waste-and-abuse-runs-deep/
----------------------------------------------------------------
Secretary Marco Rubio Appointed as Acting Administrator for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
February 3, 2025
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long strayed from its original mission of responsibly advancing American interests abroad, and it is now abundantly clear that significant portions of USAID funding are not aligned with the core national interests of the United States.
As an interim step toward gaining control and better understanding over the agency’s activity, President Donald J. Trump appointed Secretary Marco Rubio as Acting Administrator.
Secretary Rubio has also now notified Congress that a review of USAID’s foreign assistance activities is underway with an eye towards potential reorganization.
As we evaluate USAID and ensure it is in alignment with an America First agenda and the efforts of the State Department, we will continue to protect the American people’s interests and ensure their tax dollars are not wasted.
https://www.state.gov/secretary-mar...s-agency-for-international-development-usaid/
---------------------------------------------------------------
