Trump Flouts Congressional Authority on Foreign Aid Decisions

WHO:

Salon - President Trump and his administration officials

Alternet - Congress, including Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Russell Vought (Office of Management and Budget), Jeremy Lewin (acting undersecretary for foreign assistance), and Dr. Mike Reid (former chief scientific officer of PEPFAR)

WHAT:

Salon - Trump officials have largely refused to follow Congress's orders on foreign aid spending.

Alternet - Congress allocated $9.4 billion for global health and over $5 billion for emergency humanitarian aid, which Trump signed into law.

Alternet - The administration has delayed spending on global health and labeled humanitarian aid funds as “unallocated.”

Alternet - The administration has spent only $190 million of the more than $9 billion allocated for global health by the end of March, which is 5% of the average spending in previous years.

WHERE:

Alternet - U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the State Department

WHEN:

Alternet - Congress directed the State Department to spend specific amounts on family planning ($524 million), nutrition ($165 million), and neglected tropical diseases ($109 million) in the fiscal year.

Alternet - The administration clawed back $13 billion in foreign aid that Congress had passed into law in 2025.

WHY:

Alternet - The Trump administration aimed to eliminate USAID entirely and reduce federal spending on foreign aid.

Alternet - Legal scholars argue that the administration's actions likely violate the law regarding foreign aid spending.

HOW:

Alternet - The Office of Management and Budget, led by Russell Vought, has blocked the spending of aid money and labeled funds as “unallocated.”

Alternet - The administration has implemented a new America First Global Health Strategy, requiring countries to provide health data in exchange for receiving U.S. aid.

(UPDATED June 23, 2026 11:59 UTC)

President Trump and his administration officials have largely refused to follow Congress's orders regarding foreign aid spending, despite Congress allocating $9.4 billion for global health and over $5 billion for emergency humanitarian aid, which Trump signed into law. By the end of March, the administration had only spent $190 million of the more than $9 billion designated for global health, which is significantly lower than the average spending in previous years. Legal scholars are raising concerns that the administration's actions, including blocking aid money and labeling it as “unallocated,” may violate laws governing foreign aid spending.