9. Agency for International Development · Notable · Needs Congress
Work with Congress to make deep cuts in the 150 Account
Printed page 254 9. Agency for International Development
“This will require working closely with the U.S. Congress to make deep cuts in the international affairs “150 Account” while granting USAID greater flexibility in spending its appropriated funds to achieve better developmental outcomes.”
What has happened
- Partially done
The FY2027 Congressional Budget Justification requests $35.572 billion of total net international affairs (Function 150, 300 and 800), $16.247 billion below the FY2025 estimate and $15.514 billion below FY2026 - a formal administration request for the deep cut, not yet enacted.
- Partially done
The FY2026 act appropriated the 150 Account at roughly the prior year's level: the Department's own summary table puts total net international affairs at $51.086 billion for FY2026 against $51.819 billion estimated for FY2025. The recurring account was not deeply cut; the Quote's second clause - greater USAID spending flexibility - is moot, the agency having closed on 2025-07-01.
- Partially done
Congress enacted the request in part: the Rescissions Act of 2025 canceled about $8.6 billion of unobligated foreign-assistance budget authority (Development Assistance, Economic Support Fund, Global Health Programs, Migration and Refugee Assistance, International Disaster Assistance and USAID Operating Expenses). This is the deep cut the Quote asks for, made with Congress; it is a one-time cancellation, not a reduction in the annual 150 Account level.
- Attempted
The President transmitted a special message to Congress proposing rescission of $9.4 billion, $8.3 billion of it from international affairs (150 Account) programs - a formal administration request for a deep cut, with nothing yet canceled.
Research log
What was searched, and what didn’t count as evidence
Research notes
- Sequence: request (2025-06-09) -> enacted rescission (2025-07-24) -> flat FY2026 enactment (2026-02-03) -> larger FY2027 request (2026-04-20). Leveled partial on the ladder for asks that need an act of Congress: enacted in part.
- The FY2027 CBJ was read at https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/FY2027-Department-of-State-Congressional-Budget-Justification-Final-4.20.2026.pdf; the summary budget table on its first numbered page carries the FY2025/FY2026/FY2027 Function 150 figures quoted above.
- Action
- restrict
- Object
- International affairs "150 Account"
- ID
- 643