Lawmakers Advocate for Release of Frozen Foreign Aid Funds

Lawmakers advocated for the release of lifesaving foreign aid funds that the Trump administration had frozen for months. Despite the administration's refusal to spend the money, Republicans in Congress continued to appropriate funds for humanitarian aid programs implemented by the State Department. Most of the frozen funds were released last week after advocacy efforts by lawmakers and constituents.

The lapse in funding had raised concerns that it could contribute to 121,000 deaths from tuberculosis and 47,600 deaths from malaria. Furthermore, the funding lapse threatened to cut off food supplies to 22.9 million children.