U.S. to withhold hundreds of millions in Central America aid [View all]
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trumps administration announced on Monday plans to permanently divert hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, after Trump blasted the three countries because thousands of their citizens had sought asylum at the U.S. border with Mexico.
Congressional aides said the administration told them it would reallocate $370 million in aid to Central America that lawmakers had approved for fiscal 2018, and suspend an additional $180 million Congress had approved for fiscal 2017.
All of the money for those years has not yet been spent.
The plan was likely to run into stiff opposition in Congress. Many lawmakers, including some of Trumps fellow Republicans as well as Democrats, have chafed against the presidents repeated decisions to disregard spending bills passed by Congress, some of which he has signed into law himself.
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WORLD NEWS JUNE 17, 2019 / 2:01 PM / UPDATED 17 MINUTES AGO
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-trump/u-s-to-withhold-hundreds-of-millions-in-central-america-aid-idUSKCN1TI2C7