Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid

On January 20, 2025, the President signed the Executive Order, Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid. An Executive Order (EO) states mandatory requirements for the Executive Branch and have the effect of law.

What is the Effect of the EO?

In a nutshell, all department and agency heads with responsibility for United States foreign development assistance shall immediately pause new obligations and disbursements of foreign assistance. The responsible department and agency heads, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), will make determinations?within 90 days of this order?on whether to continue, modify, or cease each foreign assistance program based upon the review recommendations, with the concurrence of the Secretary of State. Until then, OMB shall enforce this pause through its apportionment authority.

What to Expect

If your program is reviewed and approved prior to the 90-day period, new obligations and disbursements of foreign development assistance may resume. The program may continue in the same or modified form. The Secretary of State may also waive the pause for specific programs.

At this time there is not much that organizations and their leaders can do. GRF recommends that clients reach out to their contracting officers to see what advice they can offer.

Stay Informed

GRF will provide updates as more information becomes available.