Today, Congress returns after a month-long recess with a full agenda. With the healthcare debate looming large and the FY 2010 Appropriations bills waiting for Senate action, both chambers have a busy fall legislative season ahead. Although the House has passed all 12 FY10 Appropriations bills, including the International Affairs Budget, the Senate has only [...]
Chuck Hagel, former Senator and USGLC Advisory Council Member Washington Post, Thursday, September 3, 2009 The other night I watched the film “The Deer Hunter.” Afterward, I remembered why it took me so many years to be able to watch Vietnam movies. It all came tumbling back — the tragedy, the innocent victims, the waste. [...]
William Easterly Aid Watch Blog, September 1, 2009 One of the oldest ideas in economics is gains from specialization. Adam Smith talked about it 233 years ago. All of us are good at a small number of things and suck at most everything else. The economy as a whole produces more because we each specialize [...]
Coordinating Development Strategy Essential to Protect our National Security Washington, DC — The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition today released the following statement from Executive Director Liz Schrayer on the new Presidential Study Directive on U.S. Global Development Policy: “The U.S. Global Leadership Coalition applauds President Obama for his Presidential Study Directive on U.S. Global Development [...]
Reverend David Beckmann, President of Bread for the World and co-chair of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network Huffington Post, August 27, 2009 When Congress reconvenes after Labor Day, they will find an increasingly vocal and diverse, bipartisan movement pushing to make the non-military U.S. foreign assistance system more efficient and effective. Of our aid dollars [...]
Community leaders discuss the FY10 State Foreign Operations Bill with Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart: In separate meetings last week, key community leaders from the USGLC’s Florida Advisory Committee met with representatives of both Mario and Lincoln Diaz-Balart’s offices. These advocates for the International Affairs Budget thanked the Congressmen for their support of the FY10 State, [...]
Jendayi Frazer, professor at Carnegie Mellon University, and Former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Wall Street Journal, August 25, 2009 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently concluded her maiden trip to sub-Saharan Africa carrying in her words “a tough message lovingly delivered.” Simultaneously, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk visited Kenya, Ethiopia and Senegal [...]
Darius Mans, CEO of the Millennium Challenge Corporation Huffington Post, August 21, 2009 The economic recovery of the United States depends in large part on the rest of the world. Ninety-five percent of all consumers live outside America’s borders, constituting huge potential markets for American goods and services. Ninety-seven percent of American exporters employ fewer [...]
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton finished an 11-day trip to Africa this past weekend signaling her strong commitment to personalized diplomacy and interest in Africa. As her longest trip yet as Secretary of State, it is an indication that the Obama Administration is prioritizing engagement with the African continent. She made a point of meeting [...]
Mark Green, former Congressman and Ambassador The Washington Times, August 20, 2009 Remarkably, a reform effort is under way in Washington that has yet to devolve into a partisan shouting match. The reform involves our foreign-aid apparatus, which is in dire need of an overhaul. It matters because amid this tough economy, every taxpayer dollar [...]
