Peter Ford / Staff Writer, Christian MonitorA leaked State Department budget document lays out proposals for a 30.8 percent cut in development aid and plans to sharply cut back USAID. Paris—When President Donald Trump’s budget director, Mick Mulvaney, presented the outlines of the new US administration’s first budget last month, he made no bones about its purpose. “This is a hard power budget. It is not a soft power budget,” he told reporters, referring to Mr. Trump’s preference for military firepower over the influence he might wield through development aid. A leaked State Department budget document lays out proposals for a 30.8 percent cut in development aid and plans to sharply cut back USAID, America’s premier foreign aid agency, by closing many of its projects.

Source: GNN Liberia April 29, 2017 20:15 UTC