This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-eliminates-funding-for-program-in-honor-of-ambassador-stevens-who-was-killed-in-benghazi/2020/02/15/5360bbae-5019-11ea-bf44-f5043eb3918a_story.html

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Trump eliminates funding for program in honor of Ambassador Stevens who was killed in Benghazi Trump eliminates funding for program honoring Ambassador Stevens, who was killed in Benghazi
(32 minutes later)
The Trump administration has zeroed out of the State Department budget a request from a nonprofit set up in honor of J. Christopher Stevens, the ambassador killed in Benghazi, Libya, in a 2012 terrorist attack. The Trump administration has zeroed out of the State Department budget a request from a nonprofit entity set up in honor of J. Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador killed in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012 terrorist attacks.
The agency’s fiscal 2021 budget proposal cuts $420 million from its educational and cultural programs, including $5 million for the Stevens Initiative, an organization created to memorialize the late ambassador’s dedication to cultivating international exchanges. The agency’s fiscal 2021 budget proposal cuts $420 million from its educational and cultural programs, including $5 million for the Stevens Initiative, an organization created to memorialize the late ambassador’s dedication to cultivating international exchanges.
This appears to be at least the third time that dedicated funding for the program has been removed by Trump’s budget officials. For the last two years, Congress has restored it. This appears to be at least the third time that dedicated funding for the program has been removed by Trump’s budget officials. For the past two years, Congress has restored it.
A State Department official, who provided information on the condition of anonymity to discuss official matters, defended the suggested cut, saying that even if it isn’t included in a final budget, it doesn’t necessarily mean the Stevens program will lose funding. A State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss official matters, defended the suggested cut, saying that even if it isn’t included in a final budget, it doesn’t necessarily mean the Stevens program will lose funding.
“The flexibility of the [Educational and Cultural Exchange] ECE budget allows for programs to continue under other line items, such as ‘Professional and Cultural Exchanges,’ even when they do not have a separate budget line item,” the official said in an email. “The flexibility of the ECE [Educational and Cultural Exchange] budget allows for programs to continue under other line items, such as ‘Professional and Cultural Exchanges,’ even when they do not have a separate budget line item,” the official said in an email.
Timeline: How the Benghazi attacks played outTimeline: How the Benghazi attacks played out
The attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi became the focus of a protracted Republican-led effort to blame then-secretary of state Hillary Clinton for inadequately protecting Stevens and the three other Americans who were killed. The attack on a U.S. diplomatic mission and another facility in Benghazi became the focus of a protracted Republican-led effort to fault then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as inadequately protecting Stevens and the three other Americans who were killed.
In 2016, then-candidate Trump used the attack to criticize Clinton, saying, “by the way, with Benghazi and with our ambassador — remember? That’s all Hillary Clinton, folks.” In 2016, then-candidate Donald Trump used the Benghazi attacks to criticize Clinton, saying, “By the way, with Benghazi and with our ambassador — remember? That’s all Hillary Clinton, folks.”
One of the more outspoken GOP lawmakers during that time was Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, then a conservative congressman from Kansas only in his second term. As a member of the GOP-led House Select Committee on Benghazi, he publicly grilled Clinton and other State Department officials over who to fault for the security lapse. One of the more outspoken GOP lawmakers during that time was now-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, then a conservative congressman from Kansas in his second term in the House. As a member of the GOP-led House Select Committee on Benghazi, he publicly grilled Clinton and other State Department officials over who was at fault for security lapses.
Pompeo accused Clinton of ignoring requests from embassies seeking extra protection. And even after a two-year investigation by the Select Committee turned up nothing to implicate Clinton in the attacks, Pompeo wrote a dissenting view accusing her of putting “political expediency and politics ahead of the men and women on the ground.” Pompeo accused Clinton of ignoring requests from embassies seeking extra protection. And even after a two-year investigation by the select committee turned up no basis to attach blame to Clinton in the attacks, Pompeo wrote a dissenting view accusing her of putting “political expediency and politics ahead of the men and women on the ground.”
But now, the suggested funding cut to the organization created in Stevens’s memory, comes as the Trump administration, and Pompeo specifically, have been scrutinized for its treatment of U.S. diplomats. But now, the suggested cutting of funding to the organization created in Stevens’s memory comes amid scrutiny of the Trump administration, and Pompeo specifically, over the treatment of U.S. diplomats.
Listen: Trump tells associates to ‘get rid of’ U.S. ambassador to UkraineListen: Trump tells associates to ‘get rid of’ U.S. ambassador to Ukraine
The Ukraine impeachment probe into President Trump’s conduct revealed the White House operating a shadow diplomacy outside normal State Department channels that included an effort to smear the reputation of then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. Yovanovitch, a career Foreign Service officer, was later unceremoniously removed from her post. The Ukraine impeachment probe into President Trump’s conduct revealed that the White House operated a shadow diplomacy outside normal State Department channels that included an effort to smear the reputation of then-U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. Yovanovitch, a career Foreign Service officer, was later unceremoniously removed from her post.
Pompeo has come under fire for not doing more to protect Yovanovitch professionally or personally.Pompeo has come under fire for not doing more to protect Yovanovitch professionally or personally.