Excerpts from USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah’s Testimony on the FY11 International Affairs Budget

March 3 and 4, 2010 

USAID Administrator Dr. Rajiv Shah 

Importance of Fully Funding the International Affairs Budget

• “The FY 2011 budget request will support development priorities that contribute directly to our national security.”
• “Through these critical investments, we can achieve the development goals we have set around the world and restore USAID’s standing as the world’s premiere development agency.”
• “I know this is a time of great economic strain for so many Americans. For every dollar we invest, we must show results. That is why this budget supports programs vital to our national interests.”

Importance of Investing in Development

• “Investment in development has never been more strategically important than it is today.”
• “Helping nations to grow and prosper is not only the moral obligation of a great nation; it is also in our national interest. The investments we make today are a bulwark against current and future threats –both seen and unseen – and a down payment for future peace and prosperity around the world.”
• “With the combined investments proposed in global health, food security, climate change and humanitarian assistance, we will save lives and help make people less vulnerable to poverty and the threat of instability that extreme poverty breeds. In so doing, we honor our basic values, strengthen our national security and promote our national interests.”

Commitment to Restoring USAID’s Capacity

• “Our Fiscal Year 2011 budget request represents a vital investment in our human resources, and I want to thank the Committee for its foresight and support for the Development Leadership Initiative.” 

Importance of Development in U.S. Foreign Policy

• “As Members of this Committee know very well, development is an essential pillar of our foreign policy.” 

Importance of U.S. Global Engagement

“The United States must be able to exercise global leadership to respond to crosscurrents of a complex world. This requires the effective use of all instruments of our national security – including development.”