January 24, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Liz Schrayer, President and CEO of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), released the following statement regarding today’s State Department directive to immediately pause all new obligations of foreign assistance funding and immediately issue stop-work orders for existing foreign assistance grants and contracts:
As the USGLC has previously stated, we welcome working with the new Administration and Congress to review America’s foreign assistance programs to ensure they continue to deliver for our national interest.
However, today’s non-surgical pause of obligated funds and stop-work order on active programs without a thoughtful review raises enormous concerns. Simply put, our rivals – particularly China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea – will take advantage to undermine U.S. interests and grow their influence unchallenged. This directive unilaterally cedes ground to our adversaries, and risks more instability, chaos, and human suffering.
At a moment when America needs to demonstrate strength on the global stage, these are the very tools and programs that can help this Administration outcompete China and avoid costly wars, strengthen our allies and confront our adversaries, all while protecting our security and prosperity here at home.
To protect America’s interests, we urge the Administration, working with Congress, to allow active and ongoing programs to continue while the review process proceeds.
The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (www.usglc.org) is a broad-based influential network of 500 businesses and NGOs; national security and foreign policy experts; and business, faith-based, academic, military, and community leaders in all 50 states who support strategic investments to elevate development and diplomacy alongside defense in order to build a better, safer world.