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Egypt dodges Trump’s ire as White House orders massive last-minute aid cuts

The outgoing president initally sought to freeze US military aid to Egypt over its purchase of Russian military hardware.
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US military aid to Egypt, Jordan and Israel was explicitly excluded from a list of deep cuts to domestic and foreign spending ordered by the White House in a last-minute sign of outgoing President Donald Trump’s frustration with last month’s omnibus spending package.

The White House notified Congress on Thursday night of the president’s intent to cut $27.4 billion in government spending, including funding for overseas vaccination programs, treatment of HIV/AIDS, migrant and refugee assistance, the Environmental Protection Agency and foreign cultural exchange programs.

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