Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has cut tens of millions of dollars in foreign aid grants as part of an effort to reduce spending at the Department of Labor, Breitbart reported.
Sworn in just one week ago, she has implemented budget cuts to eliminate grants that mirror those administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development. The eliminated grants total $33 million and were directed toward foreign labor policy initiatives.
The cuts include a $1.5 million grant meant to enhance transparency and accountability in Uzbekistan's cotton industry; a $7 million grant for promoting climate change policies and practices in Brazil, Chile, South Africa, and Colombia; an $18 million grant supporting collective bargaining efforts in Brazil, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Indonesia, and Guatemala; and a $1.5 million grant intended to improve compliance with workplace standards in Georgia.
In a memo to Labor Department executive staff and agency heads last week, Chavez-DeRemer ordered a review of budgets to identify wasteful contract spending and redundancies while eliminating underperforming employees.
"By adhering to the principles of fiscal responsibility and efficiency, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of millions of Americans," Chavez-DeRemer wrote in the memo, according to Breitbart.
She credited President Donald Trump's administration with saving taxpayers $125 million through similar budget-cutting initiatives, saying many contracts targeted for review include diversity, equity, and inclusion training and consulting.
"At the direction of the President, the Department of Labor has already saved the American taxpayer $125 million, and this important work must continue to root out waste, fraud, and abuse," she said in a statement.
"Thank you for your dedication to our mission of Putting American Workers First as we work together on behalf of President Trump to usher in a new Golden Age of economic prosperity. I look forward to collaborating to create a positive impact on the lives of millions of workers and their families."
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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