America First: US plans deep cuts to diplomacy and aid

WASHINGTON: The US State Department laid out plans on Tuesday to put "America first" and to slash Washington's budget for diplomacy and foreign aid by more than 30 percent.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said President Donald Trump's dramatic plans, which will be reviewed by Congress, would make government "leaner and more accountable."

If the proposed cuts are approved by US lawmakers, the State Department and USAID budget for 2018 will be $37.6 billion, down from an estimated 2017 spend of $54.9 billion.

"This budget request reflects the president's 'America First' agenda," Tillerson said, in a statement released in Washington while he and Trump headed to Rome from the Middle East.

Tillerson promised that this agenda "prioritizes the well-being of Americans, bolsters US national security, secures our borders, and advances US economic interests."

Nevertheless, confirmation of the planned cuts will dismay many diplomats and policy experts, who see US soft power waning at the expense of ballooning military spending.