It is hardly surprising that opponents of government spending focus on gutting foreign aid first, which they perceive to be an easy target with no domestic political constituency, before moving on to wreck other Cabinet departments and agencies. It is well past time for Republican congressional leaders to join their Democratic counterparts to reassert Congress’ constitutional authority.
Anti-foreign aid rhetoric has increasingly targeted sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) programs, framing them as a key battleground in efforts to undermine USAID and international assistance. Family planning and reproductive health (FP/RH) initiatives have been singled out in funding freezes and the termination of agreements with NGO partners—reflecting a broader strategy to weaken global health programs under the guise of fiscal restraint and ideological opposition.
