Continued Bipartisan U.S. Investment In Foreign Assistance Programs Can Benefit Both U.S., Aid Recipients
The Hill: Continued foreign assistance is a smart and easy win for the new administration
Paul Weisenfeld, executive vice president for international development at RTI International
“…Today’s assistance programs have embraced the best lessons of modern management: evidence-based programs focused on key priorities, applying context-appropriate technologies, and building ownership among a broad range of stakeholders to achieve sustainability. Working in partnership with other countries and putting these modern concepts into practice, U.S. development assistance has contributed to tremendous progress. … Americans should … feel confident that their investments are benefiting U.S. national interests. And while the impact of foreign assistance is vast, its price is surprisingly low. Total spending on foreign aid accounts for less than one percent of the federal budget, making it perhaps the best return on investment in national security. …[F]or more than a half century, Republicans and Democrats have agreed that foreign aid is an investment that pays off. What we’re doing is working, and my advice for the new administration is ‘be bold.’ … [E]fforts like PEPFAR and Feed the Future show that bold, smart programs can be transformative and benefit the United States and our aid recipients alike. Continuing this bipartisan investment in assistance will promote a safer and more prosperous world, and the United States will be better off for it” (2/14).
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