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2019-05-01 Home Front: Politix

Senators blast 'insane' Trump plan for ~~baksheesh~~ foreign aid cuts

[Reuters] Republican and Democratic U.S. senators blasted President Donald Trump's proposal for a 23 percent cut in the U.S. budget for foreign aid and diplomacy as "insane" and "short-sighted" on Tuesday, and said it would not pass.

"We're not going to approve this budget reduction. It's insane. It makes no sense," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the State Department and foreign aid budget.

"I don't know who writes these things over in the White House, but they clearly don't understand the value of soft power," the Republican senator, a close Trump ally on many issues, told a subcommittee hearing on the foreign aid budget.

Graham also called the plan "short-sighted" and said the Appropriations panel would restore funding to previous levels, rather than enacting the 23 percent cut Trump proposed earlier this year.

Graham also asked Mark Green, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, to send Congress a plan for how it would assist Venezuela in case of a change in government in the troubled South American state.

The hearing took place on Tuesday against a backdrop of upheaval in Venezuela, where Washington's desire to ship in millions of dollars in foreign aid has been a central theme of the Trump administration's push for a change in government.

Posted by Besoeker 2019-05-01 07:58|| || Front Page|| [14 views ] Top

#1 "I don't know who writes these things over in the White House

Someone with the American taxpayer in mind no doubt.

Posted by Besoeker 2019-05-01 08:10|| 2019-05-01 08:10|| Front Page Top

#2 Big money laundering operation. House and senate "foreign policy experts" and various functionaries and Beltway operations on the receiving end.

Posted by M. Murcek 2019-05-01 08:34|| 2019-05-01 08:34|| Front Page Top

#3 "Graham also asked Mark Green, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, to send Congress a plan for how it would assist Venezuela in case of a change in government in the troubled South American state." I can't think of a more stupid outcome. USAID is no damned good at nation building.

Posted by Chereting Pelosi1889 2019-05-01 08:49|| 2019-05-01 08:49|| Front Page Top

#4 USAID is no damned good at nation building.

Klingon 'regime change' tool, little more.

Posted by Besoeker 2019-05-01 08:53|| 2019-05-01 08:53|| Front Page Top

#5 Looks like I need a visit from Capt. Obvious I never equated soft power with bribery, but I do now.

Posted by One Eyed Tsar 2019-05-01 09:08|| 2019-05-01 09:08|| Front Page Top

#6 "insane" and "short-sighted"

These words and more will be used to describe any serious proposed budget cut. Just goes as further evidence that the Republican party isn't serious about a balanced or even a reduced budget.

Posted by Raj 2019-05-01 09:26|| 2019-05-01 09:26|| Front Page Top

#7 Should be 100% funded by charity not taxpayer extortion.

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2019-05-01 09:32|| 2019-05-01 09:32|| Front Page Top

#8 If you don't meddle in other countries that don't threaten you, you aren't obligated to tidy up the mess after.

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2019-05-01 09:34|| 2019-05-01 09:34|| Front Page Top

#9 Ref #8: If you don't meddle in other countries that don't threaten you, you aren't obligated to tidy up the mess after.

The truth clearly spoken. A bit too late for Rhodesia, South African, Mozambique, etc.

Posted by Besoeker 2019-05-01 09:44|| 2019-05-01 09:44|| Front Page Top

#10 Yet again The Donald is faced with what is universally agreed to be an utterly screwed up, financially unsustainable situation wherein the traditional answer is, 'It simply cannot go on, but THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT'.

23%? What if we shut the whole thing down...for a single year? Global reality check? A real tax cut?

Posted by Cesare 2019-05-01 10:02|| 2019-05-01 10:02|| Front Page Top

#11 This is nothing but bribery of other countries.

They hate our guts and it's high time this came to a screeching halt. Fuck them.

This goes for Europe, too, who we bribe with unfair trade agreements and free NATO protection. Fuck those ungrateful freeloaders.

Posted by Herb McCoy 2019-05-01 10:52|| 2019-05-01 10:52|| Front Page Top

#12 They hate our guts and it's high time this came to a screeching halt. Fuck them.

They like handout dollars just fine. They realize we are idiots for handing it out to them.

Posted by M. Murcek 2019-05-01 11:01|| 2019-05-01 11:01|| Front Page Top

#13 Any time you make an investment you expect some kind of a return on the investment. So the obvious question is: What kind of ROI do we get for all this money that goes to foreign dictators?

Oh, and don't try to tell me that it's charity for strictly altruistic purposes. When the government holds a gun to your head and takes the money against your will, it is not charity, it's armed robbery.

Posted by Abu Uluque 2019-05-01 11:27|| 2019-05-01 11:27|| Front Page Top

#14 Ah'm OK with 'short-sighted' and 'insane'.

Posted by Skidmark 2019-05-01 12:46|| 2019-05-01 12:46|| Front Page Top

#15 The senators get the ROI the taxpayer get nadda.

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2019-05-01 13:44|| 2019-05-01 13:44|| Front Page Top

#16 Cut the budget, we can't survive with such deficits...
Hold on, hold on, what kind of crazy person is cutting the free money-train to other nations?

Posted by rschwarz 2019-05-01 14:56|| 2019-05-01 14:56|| Front Page Top

#17 At some point people *assume* that your charity has become an obligation or something required by the very nature of things. Human nature to assume that there is no reason to be grateful -- because it is yours by right!

Posted by magpie 2019-05-01 15:56|| 2019-05-01 15:56|| Front Page Top

#18 Could use the cuts to offset this infrastructure pork bomb that has just been floated.

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2019-05-01 17:01|| 2019-05-01 17:01|| Front Page Top

#19 HIstorically people start to hate those they feel they owe gratitude to. I'm sure this applies to nations as well. Our largess might be spawning enemies who feel hurt pride.

Posted by rschwarz 2019-05-01 17:24|| 2019-05-01 17:24|| Front Page Top

#20 No different than today when (R) Shelby insisted that NASA and by implication everybody may only go to the moon using SLS and his method with a moon station in orbit.
I guess he will throw Musk in jail if SpaceX lands a StarShip on the moon or attack China or India if they make a base there even though he only bathes in the money allocated to his state.

Posted by 3dc 2019-05-01 19:04|| 2019-05-01 19:04|| Front Page Top

#21 Even those completely for such programs should admit that showing that we can and will shut the valve there will be a more efficient return.

Posted by swksvolFF 2019-05-01 19:15|| 2019-05-01 19:15|| Front Page Top

#22 'Short sighted'? I can get glasses. 'Insane'? It helps to pass the time.

Posted by AlmostAnonymous5839 2019-05-01 21:40|| 2019-05-01 21:40|| Front Page Top

#23 Wow! I find myself agreeing with Herb! Someone check my meds plz.

Posted by Whiskey Mike 2019-05-01 22:41|| 2019-05-01 22:41|| Front Page Top

#24 #17 And this is why I quit (cold) Patreon.

Posted by Whiskey Mike 2019-05-01 22:44|| 2019-05-01 22:44|| Front Page Top

#25 Especially stupid when we are giving away borrowed money for foreign aid.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2019-05-01 23:12|| 2019-05-01 23:12|| Front Page Top

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