The Obama Administration is still spending millions of dollars on foreign aid to the Palestinians despite federal agencies working to delay or avoid sequester-tied furloughs, according to Fox News. The administration is still seeking more money and Congress has tried to freeze it in the past.
The administration has already sent $500 million in aid and is working to obtain another $200 million from Congress, according to the State Department. Victoria Nuland, a Department spokeswoman, said that the aid is important because an “economically viable Palestinian Authority” would help the peace and security of the region.
Many in Washington have criticized multiple foreign transactions and the Defense Department said it would delay furlough notices to its employees for two weeks as it analyzes the situation. The furlough notices were supposed to be sent out on Thursday to thousands of civilian employees at the Pentagon.
In a memo, Attorney General Eric Holder noted that he was moving funds around to give the Bureau of Prisons $150 million so it could prevent furloughing correctional workers at federal prisons. He said these furloughs would have created “serious threats to the lives and safety of our staff, inmates and the public.”
Nuland noted that the United States has gone ahead with $295.7 million in fiscal 2012 funds. Some of that money will be used for economic development and humanitarian assistance and some will be for law enforcement aid. An added $200 million will be for fiscal 2013 assistance.