Washington, June 2 (IANS) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio faced sharp criticism from Senate Democrats on Tuesday over foreign aid cuts, Congressional oversight and the administration’s handling of a growing Ebola outbreak in Africa.

During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the State Department budget, Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen accused the US administration of repeatedly failing to respond to Congressional requests for briefings and information on a range of foreign policy issues.

“You were a Senator. You sat on this committee. You sat on the Intelligence Committee. You know as well as anyone that effective American foreign policy requires a strong partnership with Congress,” Shaheen said.

She cited a series of unanswered requests, including briefings on US force posture in Europe, Ukraine, sanctions policy, global media programmes and developments related to Iran.

“Congress cannot be a partner if it’s kept in the dark,” she added.

The New Hampshire Democrat also challenged the administration’s proposed 44 per cent reduction in the State Department budget and warned that cuts to global health programmes could undermine efforts to combat disease outbreaks.

“You’re asking for a 44 per cent reduction in the State Department budget,” Shaheen said.

“That includes eliminating funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO). It includes eliminating all disease-specific funds in the middle of an Ebola crisis that’s affecting Americans.”

She added that the dismantling of programmes previously supported by the US Agency for International Development had weakened the international response to health emergencies.

“Today we have to screen for Ebola at Dulles Airport rather than in Congo and Uganda, more than 7,000 miles away,” she said.

Rubio defended the US administration’s approach, saying that foreign assistance programmes were being restructured to focus more directly on American interests and measurable outcomes.

“The old model had to be replaced,” Rubio said in his opening remarks.

He added that aid programmes that remain in place are now being managed under the strategic direction of the State Department.

“We’re not just providing money, we are also seeking outcomes,” Rubio said.

A significant portion of the exchange focused on Gavi, the international vaccine alliance that has committed funding towards developing a vaccine for the Ebola strain involved in the current outbreak.

Shaheen pressed Rubio on whether the US administration would release funds that Congress had appropriated for global health programmes.

Rubio acknowledged that the issue remained under review and said Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had been given a leading role in evaluating Gavi funding because of his views on vaccine safety.

“The State Department will — is — a few weeks ago made the decision that we were going to reengage on this issue of Gavi,” the Secretary of State said.

He added, “We intend to get this resolved. We want to get this resolved.”

Rubio also defended the US administration’s handling of humanitarian assistance, including food aid.

Responding to criticism over assistance levels in Sudan, he said that the main obstacle was not funding but the inability to safely deliver aid into conflict zones.

“The fundamental challenge in Sudan is distribution,” Rubio said.

He added that humanitarian workers often face attacks, theft and insecurity that prevent assistance from reaching vulnerable populations.

–IANS

int/lkj/ksk/khz