Shah Faces Senate Foreign Relations Committee
USAID Administrator nominee, Dr. Rajiv Shah, testified Tuesday, December 1st before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee providing his views on the need for a strong USAID and the continued role of development in U.S. foreign policy. He stressed his desire to rebuild USAID’s capacity, the need to provide policy and planning support and welcomed the “broad, bipartisan recognition of both the importance of development to our foreign policy and the critical need to improve the way we work to help achieve it.” With eleven Senators making an appearance at the hearing, there was vigorous debate about the importance of a stronger, well-managed USAID and ensuring that development is one of three pillars of our foreign and national security policy.
Key Points from the Hearing
Shah’s Opening Statement
Shah’s Written Responses to Senator Kerry
Senator Kerry’s Opening Statement
Senator Lugar’s Opening Statement
USAID Reporting Structure
During the hearing, Dr. Shah confirmed he will report directly to Secretary Hilary Clinton. He said, however, that a leadership role in State’s Foreign Assistance Bureau will be dependent on the recommendations of the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR). Dr. Shah assured the Committee that he will work “closely with the White House, State Department, heads of other agencies and Congress on all aspects of foreign assistance reform.”
Office of Policy and Planning
When asked if he plans to consider reinstating a policy and planning office within USAID, Dr. Shah said that between the NSC and the Department of State, “there is broad commitment to, and consensus around, restoring USAID as the world’s premier development agency.” He went on to say that “while it would be premature for me to comment on structural changes before these [QDDR] reviews are completed, I know I share with Secretary Clinton and Deputy Secretary Lew the view that USAID needs to have a strong voice in development policy and planning so that it can effectively articulate the development perspective in the inter-agency and the international arena and increase its development impact.”
Smart Power Approach
Speaking to a smart power approach to foreign policy, Dr. Shah affirmed that “the President and the Secretary of State, as well as the Secretary of Defense, have all made it clear that development, along with defense and diplomacy are the three pillars of our foreign and national security policy. To best fulfill that aspiration, I believe USAID must be able to inform policy decisions, develop strategies, and implement programs effectively and efficiently. If confirmed as Administrator, I also hope to engage with Congress and the American people to discuss transparency and participation in our development work.”
