Of all the cuts to emerge from last month’s House Foreign Affairs Committee draft authorization bill and the fiscal 2012 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee bill markup, the cut from USAID’s operating expenses budget may turn out to be one of the most painful for U.S. foreign policy.
In the midst of a misguided and disproportionate effort to slash the international affairs budget, the House of Representatives has proposed to cut nearly 27% ($365million) from USAID’s operating budget for fiscal year 2012. Such a drastic cut would cripple the agency’s ongoing and aggressive internal reform effort, while undermining bipartisan efforts to increase the effectiveness and accountability of U.S. foreign assistance.
See below for a guest post from MFAN Partner Gregory Adams, Director of Oxfam America’s Aid Effectiveness Team, on Congressman Berman’s efforts to update the Foreign Assistance Act. This post originally appeared on The Hill’s Congress blog. For most Americans, time travel is the stuff of science fiction. But the men and women who deliver … Continue reading Back to the Future
Please join the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) for a town hall event marking the first anniversary of the PPD on Global Development. Our panel of experts from the Administration will discuss the progress being made toward achieving its full implementation as well as challenges that have been encountered.
See below for a guest post from Christopher J. Elias, President and CEO of MFAN Partner PATH on the severity of House of Representatives-proposed cuts to the 150 account, particularly looking at the impact such cuts would have on global health programs worldwide.
See below for a guest post by Sinead Murray from MFAN partner International Rescue Committee on gender-based violence in the Horn of Africa crisis. The post originally appeared on ONE’s blog. Dadaab, Kenya — On the outskirts of Hagadera, a refugee camp near the town of Dadaab, Somali women and their families are gathered, desperately seeking … Continue reading A Crisis with a Female Face
In his eleven terms in Congress, Rep. Moran has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the developing world through his legislative endeavors. A proponent of comprehensive foreign assistance, he was a cosponsor both on the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009 and the Global Poverty Act of 2007.
See below for a guest post from Jeremy Konyndyk, Director of Policy and Advocacy at MFAN Partner Mercy Corps, on his recent testimony regarding the crisis in the Horn of Africa. The original post is available here. Last Wednesday, I had the privilege of testifying before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations’ African Affairs … Continue reading MFAN Partner Mercy Corps Testifies before U.S. Senate about Horn of Africa Crisis
At this time of high budget deficits and higher political stakes, the U.S. needs to be more efficient than ever with its development dollars. This means the administration must tackle the hard parts of PPD implementation, like working with Congress on legislation that makes USAID’s reforms permanent. It means Congress needs to stop deluding itself that cuts to development assistance, just half of one percent of the federal budget, will balance the budget.
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Deputy Administrator Don Steinberg spoke at MFAN partner InterAction’s Forum 2011 yesterday, offering insight into the “new development landscape.” He assessed the OECD Development Assistance Committee’s recent review of U.S. development efforts, highlighting some of their recommendations: “We’ve moved forward on aid effectiveness principles, including accountability, transparency and sustainability … Continue reading Deputy Administrator Steinberg Addresses Reform at InterAction Forum
