WASHINGTON — As the U.S. Senate considers the White House’s request to claw back $9.4 billion in already approved funding, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala. wants to ensure the United States’ soft power remains strong as the Trump administration aims to cut foreign aid.
Senate appropriators, including Britt, questioned the Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought Wednesday on President Donald Trump’s request to rescind billions of dollars that Congress already approved. The rescission memo was sent to Congress earlier this month. The package would take back $8.3 billion from foreign aid, including money for international health programs.
“So my questions today will be centered around ensuring that we can still get those in need across the globe the help that they need,” Britt told Alabama Daily News ahead of the appropriations hearing.
“And I think that’s important, not only being the right thing to do and the American way, but I also think it’s important as we know that if we leave a void it will be filled by… our adversaries.”
Britt emphasized the need to maintain the United States’ soft power across the globe, which is the ability to influence other countries and cultures through attraction and persuasion, rather than force.
“I want to make sure that we are in a strong position to combat China,” Britt told ADN.
Vought defended the proposed funding cuts during the hearing, arguing the foreign aid programs the administration wants to cut under the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development “advance left-wing causes abroad.” The Trump administration began dismantling USAID earlier this year.
Britt opened up her questioning of the OMB director by naming programs that were pursuing a “liberal ideology.”
“It is my belief that Americans have a deep desire to help people all across this globe, help people that are in need but I don’t think anyone expects us to have an ideology that has been driven into these dollars.
The State Department and OMB are going line by line to review where a foreign aid investment in soft power would be wise for the United States, Vought said.
Britt asked Vought to commit to ensuring “that where there is need and it is appropriate, that we are working to help those across the globe.”
“Absolutely, yes, senator,” Vought replied.
However, Democrats and other Republican senators seemed more skeptical, questioning Vought’s intentions for proposing to claw back the $8.3 billion in foreign spending. The committee’s top Democrat, Patty Murray of Washington, argued the foreign policy cuts would gut global health programs that stop infectious disease, curtail UN treaty obligations and stifle humanitarian aid.
“Trump also wants Congress to surrender America’s leadership on the world stage, with drastic cuts to longstanding, bipartisan foreign policy investments this committee has made,” Murray said.
The request also claws back $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which gives trickle-down funding to local PBS and NPR stations.
Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the chair of the Appropriations Committee, highlighted her concern with cutting money that supports emergency communications in rural areas and coverage of local sports.
“The vast majority of this funding—more than 70 percent—actually flows to local television and radio stations,” Collins said.
Britt did not touch on funding for public media in her questioning. She did use part of her hearing time to tout her support for adding working requirements for entitlement programs that are part of Trump’s sweeping budget bill.
Congress has until July 18 to approve the rescission request, which is 45 days from June 3, when the package was sent to lawmakers.
“I feel good about it being able to move forward,” Britt told ADN. “We’ll look and see if there are places that we can improve that and get it done.”
The House narrowly passed the package earlier this month, with Alabama’s delegation split on party lines for that vote.