Washington, August 30, 2025 – The Europe Today: U.S. President Donald Trump has taken steps to block $5 billion in foreign aid previously approved by Congress, the White House announced on Friday, heightening the risk of a federal government shutdown amid sharp opposition from Democrats.
According to media reports, the proposed cuts target programs under the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In a letter to the House of Representatives, President Trump confirmed the move, which has already sparked political tensions in Washington.
Since returning to office in January for a second term, Trump has launched a broad campaign to downsize or dismantle major parts of the federal government. USAID, founded in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy to strengthen U.S. influence in the developing world during the Cold War, has been particularly affected. The agency has been integrated into the State Department following reforms by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who reduced 85 percent of its programs.
Democratic leaders have warned that any attempt to withhold funding already approved by Congress would derail ongoing negotiations aimed at avoiding a budgetary paralysis, commonly referred to as a government shutdown, after the September 30 deadline.
