Senators Grill Rex Tillerson on Spending Cuts
sistance for democracy assistance?" Mr. Tillerson said
that other parts of the budget could be used for the task. that How can you say that then when the budget completely zeros out as
"Early next year we’ll begin implementation." "And when you say this year, you mean this
fiscal year?" Mr. Corker asked hopefully, which would mean an announcement in September.
By GARDINER HARRISJUNE 13, 2017
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson was subjected to a morning of rough, bipartisan criticism on Tuesday as senators
from both parties denounced the Trump administration’s plans to cut the State Department’s budget by 31 percent.
In response to a question from Senator Christopher S. Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, about whether the Trump administration
was withdrawing the United States from its longtime leadership position in global affairs, Mr. Tillerson said it was not.
Tillerson said that Hopefully we will have some clarity around what that looks like by the end of this year,
Senators on the Foreign Relations Committee repeatedly asked whether issues such as the promotion of human rights, the protection of democracy,
the campaign against human trafficking or efforts to halt the spread of nuclear weapons were priorities for the Trump administration.