How is aid to foreign countries approved?
The process begins when the President submits the annual budget request to Congress. The budget request specifies which countries are to be recipients of the aid, how much aid should be given, and a justification for providing the aid. The president’s request is considered by the appropriate committees in the House and Senate, and a bill is drafted authorizing the funding levels Congress deems appropriate. The funding levels may or may not match those requested by the President, and Congress may place restrictions and conditions on where and how the funds may be spent. After passage of the authorization bill, an appropriations bill is passed that actually provides the funds to be spent as foreign aid.
