Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid

This executive order imposes an immediate 90-day pause on all new U.S. foreign development assistance obligations and disbursements pending program-by-program reviews for alignment with presidential foreign policy. The Secretary of State, in consultation with OMB, must conduct reviews and make continue/modify/cease determinations within 90 days, with authority to waive the pause for specific programs.

Federal Register Open PDF 90 FR 8619

Impact dates

Apr 20, 2025
Program reviews and continue/modify/cease determinations due
Apr 20, 2025
Potential early resumption of programs upon State/OMB approval

Key directives

Immediate pause on new foreign development assistance obligations and disbursements
90-day review of all foreign assistance programs for efficiency and policy alignment
State Department to provide review guidelines; agency heads to conduct reviews
Continue/modify/cease determinations within 90 days with State concurrence and OMB consultation
OMB to enforce pause through apportionment authority
State Secretary may waive pause for specific programs
All new foreign assistance programs require State Secretary or designee approval with OMB consultation

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

Pause on new obligations and disbursements of development assistance funds takes effect
OMB enforcement via apportionment authority begins

Near term (90d)

Program reviews completed under State Department guidelines
Continue/modify/cease determinations due for each foreign assistance program
Potential resumption of individual programs upon State/OMB approval

Long term

Structural realignment of foreign aid bureaucracy to presidential foreign policy
Possible permanent cessation or modification of programs deemed misaligned
Precedent for State Department gatekeeping over all new foreign assistance programs

Risks & tensions

Operational disruption to ongoing development programs and humanitarian assistance
Potential legal challenges regarding congressional appropriations authority
Vague standard of 'fully aligned with foreign policy of the President' creates uncertainty
State Department centralization may conflict with independent statutory mandates of agencies like USAID
Concurrence requirement between State and OMB may create bureaucratic bottlenecks
Risk of aid recipient countries pivoting to other donors during 90-day gap