IFI funding “coup de grace”?

I had thought that this Irish Echo report meant that the US Congress had de-funded the International Fund for Ireland (IFI).  But, as Mark Devenport notes, the Washington Post reported on Monday that the “coup de grace” could be due today.  From the Washington Post report

Also, in an odd sense of timing, an international fund for Ireland would lose $17 million, a proposal backed by the State Department. The Senate could vote to eliminate those funds, and others, on Thursday – St. Patrick’s Day, when the Irish government’s leaders will be feted at the annual congressional luncheon.

That’s “a proposal backed by the State Department”.   Irish Times take note…

I suspect that, officially, time will finally run out for that funding when Congress moves on from temporary stop-gap measures and passes a final budget.  They’ve set themselves a deadline of 8th April.

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