- Summary
- The Trump administration is moving to bring USAID under State Department control, sources say
- The National Security Council hosted discussions this week on the topic, source says
- US official confirms discussions but says no final decision made
- One source says Trump could sign order as early as Friday night or Saturday
WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) – The Trump administration is moving to strip a slimmed-down U.S. Agency for International Development of its independence and put it under State Department control, two sources familiar with the discussions said on Friday, in what would be a significant overhaul of how Washington allocates U.S. foreign aid.
The National Security Council hosted discussions this week on the topic, a person familiar with the matter said. A U.S. official confirmed there have been discussions about such a move but said no final decisions had been made.
The administration last week froze U.S. foreign aid, saying it is conducting a review to ensure the tens of billions of dollars worth of such assistance worldwide is aligned with President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy and not a waste of taxpayer money.
One source said the White House was exploring legal authorities that Trump could use to issue an executive order to end USAID’s independence and that he could sign such a directive as soon as Friday night or Saturday. More