Sen. Coons to Newsmax: US Must Strike Balance With Foreign Aid

The United Nations' migration agency reportedly has slashed in half its aid to hundreds of Rohingya refugees in Indonesia, blaming cuts in most foreign assistance by the U.S., its largest donor.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told Newsmax on Thursday that the federal government needs to strike a balance in making sure taxpayer money is not being wasted with its opportunities to help those overseas, such as the Rohingya refugees, who are in need.

Coons spoke to "The Record With Greta Van Susteren" hours after he said he and a bipartisan group of lawmakers met with Pete Marocco, the deputy administrator-designee for the U.S. Agency for International Development, which is directly responsible for distributing U.S. foreign aid.

"One of the things that I've raised in many such conversations in recent weeks is what I view as the balance of our obligations to protect the American people and ensure their funds are spent well, and our opportunity to help reduce suffering, chaos, migration throughout the world," Coons said.

He added the responsibility of the U.S. giving in times of need is amplified during Lent.

"For me personally, this is Lent, and Lent is a time for us to reflect on the opportunity we have to do justice and to love mercy and to walk kindly in our faith journey," Coons said. "And to me, the opportunity to help for just a few dollars to save lives among a people like the Rohingya, who live on the very margins of existence, is also something that we should consider doing, not just because it helps keep us safe, not just because it helps stop migration, but because it's the right thing to do."

President Donald Trump last month signed an executive order halting funding to certain U.N. organizations, including the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, which in the order said "has been infiltrated by members of groups long designated" as foreign terrorist organizations, and that UNRWA employees were involved with Iranian-backed Hamas' terrorist attack in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

Trump also has called for USAID to be dismantled because of waste and fraud uncovered by the Department of Government Efficiency.

"I understand the concerns of many about making sure that funds that are spent are spent well," Coons said. "One of the challenges we've had in the past is that by demanding lots of audits and oversight and transparency mechanisms, that's reduced the amount of U.S. dollars that actually gets into the hands of those who most need it. So, I have worked on bipartisan foreign assistance reform legislation in the last two Congresses to try and streamline the processes, reduce overhead, deliver more assistance directly to those who most need it.

"One of the things we've done for decades in the United States is to purchase food from American farmers, and to deliver it to those who are most in need and who are hungriest around the world. I hope that we can get back to looking at how to make that possible in the most efficient way. As of right now, many of these programs are completely shut down and there will be more hungry people, more pandemics, and more people migrating as a result."

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