Rajiv Shah on the Hill
This week it’s USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah’s turn to testify on the FY11 International Affairs Budget, and this morning he’s before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs (HCFA). In a hearing largely dominated by praise for his leadership in coordinating U.S. government assistance to Haiti, Shah stated, “The FY 2011 budget request will support development priorities that contribute directly to our national security.” HCFA Chairman Howard Berman commented, “Sec. Clinton has rightly identified diplomacy and development as two key pillars of national security alongside defense.” Members of HCFA asked a variety of questions focused on aid to West Bank and Gaza, global health, rebuilding USAID as the U.S. government’s primary development agency, microfinance, and aid to Africa.
