Secretary Rubio Pauses Foreign Aid While President Trump Removes More than a Dozen Inspectors General

Sundance reporting for Conservative Treehouse 

The promises of an America-First agenda in combination with clearing out the bureaucracy is underway as the first five days of the administration culminate.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has put a pause on most foreign aid with the exception of Egypt and Israel as the State Dept begins reevaluating spending priorities.  Coinciding with this announcement, President Trump removed over a dozen Inspectors General from various DC agencies.

WASHINGTON DC – Secretary of State Marco Rubio halted spending Friday on most existing foreign aid grants for 90 days. The order, which shocked State Department officials, appears to apply to funding for military assistance to Ukraine.

Rubio’s guidance, issued to all diplomatic and consular posts, requires department staffers to issue “stop-work orders” on nearly all “existing foreign assistance awards,” according to the document, which was obtained by POLITICO. It is effective immediately.

It appears to go further than President Donald Trump’s recent executive order, which instructed the department to pause foreign aid grants for 90 days pending review by the secretary. It had not been clear from the president’s order if it would affect already appropriated funds or Ukraine aid.

The new guidance means no further actions will be taken to disperse aid funding to programs already approved by the U.S. government, according to three current and two former officials familiar with the new guidance. (read more)

In related news.

WASHINGTON DC – […] Two people with knowledge of the matter said on Friday night that 17 inspectors general had been terminated; a third person said on Saturday morning that the figure was at least twelve. A White House spokesman would not comment for the record, and did not respond to a request for a list of those who had been terminated.

Presidents have the prerogative to dismiss inspectors general. However, they are supposed to give Congress 30 days’ notice before they do so and provide specific reasons. The White House spokesman did not respond to a question about why that law was not followed. (read more)

For those pondering why Congress appears to be sidelined in the IG removal decision, look up the word “plenary.”