Amid the confusion surrounding the Trump administration’s decision to temporarily halt most U.S. foreign assistance, the State Department put out an FAQ media note today — but it seemed to focus more on defending the aid freeze than on answering the myriad questions that the aid community has about what is going on. MORE
…Of those revoked by the EO, several impact government contracts and federal procurement, including, but not limited to:
MANAGING STOP WORK ORDERS AND SUSPENSION UNDER USG CONTRACTSAND GRANTSThe purpose of this guide is to provide summary guidance on Stop Work Orders under U.S.Government Prime Contracts and Suspension of Work instructions under CooperativeAgreements. This guide is not comprehensive and may not apply to all situations. Seek advicefor help with complex situations. MORE
A memo issued by acting director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Matthew Vaeth directs federal agencies to temporarily pause “all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all Federal financial assistance.” SEE BELOW
The new U.S. administration is just a week old, but it’s already making waves by targeting some beloved institutions. One of the latest casualties? Lifesaving overseas aid. Last Friday, Peter Marocco, the newly appointed head of the Office of Foreign Assistance, sent out a memo (see here) announcing an immediate halt on all new spending. … [Read more…]
WASHINGTON, Jan 27 (Reuters) – The Trump administration has put on leave about 60 senior career officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), sources familiar with the matter said, after Washington put a sweeping freeze on U.S. aid worldwide. The administration on Saturday urged USAID staff to help transform how Washington allocates aid … [Read more…]
Dear USAID Implementing Partners, In accordance with the President’s Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid, OMB Memorandum M-25-13 (“Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs”), direction from the Department of State, and the previously issued Notice on Implementation of Executive Order on Reevaluating and Realigning United States … [Read more…]
On January 27, 2025, the White House Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) released a memorandum regarding “Temporary Pause of Agency Grant, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs” (OMB Memorandum M-25-13; hereinafter the “OMB Memo”)). The OMB Memo directs Federal agencies, inter alia, to: (1) identify and review all Federal financial assistance programs consistent with President Trump’s recent policies … [Read more…]
A coalition of organizations filed a Motion for Temporary Restraining Order in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block the White House Office of Management and Budget from pausing all agency grants and loans, as revealed in a memo issued January 27, 2025. Plaintiffs, represented in the legal challenge by Democracy Forward, include … [Read more…]
Seventy-five years of U.S. foreign assistance has produced more fiction than fact when it comes to how American tax dollars are being spent around the world. In the interest of providing taxpayers with information about the value of their federal investment in this regard, it might be helpful to look at some of the top … [Read more…]