Date: March 5, 2020

Subject: Offsetting COVID-19 Relief Spending by Cutting Foreign Aid

Description: Motion to table (kill) the Paul (R-KY) amendment to the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020 which would pay for the bill's spending, which costs $8.3 billion, by rescinding unobligated funding from foreign aid programs. Many of these are Department of State cultural exchange programs whose annual earmarks have been designated for elimination under multiple editions of President Trump's Major Savings and Reforms plans. For example, the amendment would release funds from non-health activities of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Inter-American Foundation, while privatizing funding for nongovernmental organizations such as the East-West Center ($177.5 million in taxpayer funds since 1997). ACU supports this effort to offset emergency spending by reducing non-essential foreign aid programs as opposed to growing the country's $27 trillion national debt disaster. (The underlying bill was signed into law without this crucial reform.)

Result: Motion to Table Agreed to, 80-16

Democrat: 43 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Not voting
Republican: 36 Yeas, 16 Nays, 1 Not voting
Independent: 1 Yeas, 0 Nays, 1 Not voting

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