Washington, June 4 -- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended sweeping changes to American foreign assistance programs, telling a Senate subcommittee that aid must serve the country's national interest rather than operate as "a standalone strategy of its own."Appearing before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs to present the administration's FY2027 budget request, Rubio said Washington had already signed compacts with 32 countries aimed at strengthening their domestic health systems and self-reliance.
He asserted that US goal has been to "align foreign assistance generally with the strategic lever, with the strategic interest of the United States.""The best foreign assistance progra...