Egypt dodges Trump’s ire as White House orders massive last-minute aid cuts
The outgoing president briefly sought to freeze all US military aid to Egypt over its purchase of Russian military hardware, but the White House revised the decision before notifying Congress, Al-Monitor's sources said.
WASHINGTON – US military aid to Egypt, Jordan and Israel was excluded from a list of deep cuts to domestic and foreign spending ordered by the White House in a last-minute sign of outgoing President Donald Trump’s frustration with last month’s omnibus spending package.
The White House notified Congress on Thursday night of the president’s intent to cut $27.4 billion in government spending, including funding for overseas vaccination programs, treatment of HIV/AIDS, migrant and refugee assistance, the Environmental Protection Agency and foreign cultural exchange programs.
Lawmakers are unlikely to act on the notice amid impeachment proceedings against the president following an attack by a mob of Trump supporters on the Capitol last week.
But the decision triggers an automatic 45-day freeze on the funds until it is reversed, most likely by President-elect Joe Biden, who takes office Wednesday. Al-Monitor has reached out to Biden’s transition team for comment.
