US plans deep cuts to foreign aid, diplomacy

The US State Department laid out plans 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 plan, 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 final 2017 spend of $54.9 billion.

"This budget request reflects the president's 'America First' agenda," Tillerson said in a statement released in Washington.