CNS News: Top U.S. Aid Recipients Could Face Cuts in Trump’s Proposed Funding Audit
“President Trump’s proposed audits of U.S. international funding will reportedly call for a review of development aid to countries that ‘oppose important United States policies’ — a plan that could prove uncomfortable for some of the biggest recipients of U.S. taxpayer dollars. … The report did not say whether the draft indicates how this will be quantified…” (Goodenough, 1/26).

New York Times: Trump Prepares Orders Aiming at Global Funding and Treaties
“The Trump administration is preparing executive orders that would clear the way to drastically reduce the United States’ role in the United Nations and other international organizations, as well as begin a process to review and potentially abrogate certain forms of multilateral treaties. … The order establishes a committee to recommend where those funding cuts should be made. It asks the committee to look specifically at United States funding for peacekeeping operations; the International Criminal Court; development aid to countries that ‘oppose important United States policies’; and the United Nations Population Fund, which oversees maternal and reproductive health programs…” (Fisher, 1/25).

Washington Post: Trump administration could cut funding to United Nations
“…Trump’s new U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, has pledged to put U.S. interests first and use the leverage of disproportionate U.S. funding of the body. But the draft order would go much further, and with an apparent goal of slashing U.S. participation across a swath of U.N. agencies and activities to which the Trump administration objects on fiscal or ideological grounds. Haley, who was confirmed this week by a vote of 96 to 4, told senators at her confirmation hearing that the Trump administration would question whether the U.S. ‘gets what it pays for’ from the United Nations…” (Gearan/Eilperin, 1/25).