Kerry and Lugar file bill to overhaul US AID

[karynnj]

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his Republican colleague Richard Lugar today introduced a bill to overhaul the US government's system for providing global development aid.

The bill would make numerous changes in the way American aid is handled, and would strengthen the US Agency for International Development, the key foreign assistance agency that has withered in recent years as aid programs were shifted to other departments, including the Pentagon.

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Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America, said in a statement, “Over the last two decades, USAID has had its legs cut out from under it – its resources and staff have been slashed while more development capacity has been shifted to the Department of Defense. Along with rebuilding USAID, the US must shift its focus from development projects that meet short-term political and security goals back to long term development goals that not only help more people escape poverty, but in the long run, create greater stability and good will for the US. Rebuilding USAID gives the US and its development policy a start down the right path.”

Many development groups have pushed the new Obama Administration to push fast to address the fragmented foreign aid process. Clinton said recently she would work to elevate foreign development to the level of defense and diplomacy in US foreign policy strategy. Legislation has also been introduced in the House to require a more strategic approach to development assistance.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/worldly_boston/2009/07/kerry_files_bill_to_overhaul_u_2.html

Here is the hearing on this.

I haven't watched it yet, but I read Kerry's incredible opening statement and Lugar's.

http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/2009/hrg090722p.html

Now this had to be fun compared to the purgatory of having to sit through the Finance committee meetings with Baucus.