Rubio froze all US foreign aid, with the exception of Israel and Egypt
The State Department plans to prepare a report with recommendations for cuts to the White House.

Rubio recently arrived at the State Department/ Jim Watson
The State Department has paused all U.S. foreign aid, with the exception of Israel and Egypt. The "work stoppage" reaches all existing aid and pauses new aid, some indefinitely and some for 90 days. Donald Trump had already warned about implementation of the measure during his first hours as president.
"No new funds shall be obligated for new awards or extensions of existing awards until each proposed new award or extension has been reviewed and approved... as consistent with President Trump's agenda," reads an internal State Department memo accessed by AFP.
In addition to the exceptions for Israel and Egypt, Politico reported that emergency food assistance and "legitimate expenses incurred prior to the date of this 'guidance' pursuant to existing awards" are allowed.
In addition to being cleared by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the measure was endorsed by some senior State Department officials, including State Department counselor Michael Needham and policy planning director Michael Anton.
As for next steps, the State Department is to prepare a report analyzing existing programs and current foreign aid, with recommendations on which are worth continuing and which are not.
Rubio was the first Trump nominee to be confirmed by the Senate and began his tenure by sending a cable to diplomats in which he warned of a major shift in foreign policy.
"Every dollar we spend, every program we fund, and every policy we pursue must be justified with the answer to three simple questions: Does the action make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous?" he wrote.
To meet the new diplomatic challenges, he added that the State Department will need to become one "that is innovative and nimble." "Certain priorities will be replaced, certain issues will be de-emphasized, and we will abandon some practices altogether," Rubio continued.