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Obama Administration’s Second Term Aid Priorities: More of the Same?

By Anna Jensen-Clem

Following President Obama’s re-election on Tuesday evening, many are speculating on the Administration’s foreign aid priorities in the coming years. While the Obama Administration has not released specific details of its plan for foreign aid spending, the changing composition of the Senate, coupled with new aid initiatives in the next few years, means that we may see changes in priorities, distribution, and spending.

Before the election, both President Obama and Governor Romney released statements to the ONE Campaign detailing their plans for funding health and poverty initiatives; the president focused on “building on” PEPFAR, or the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. He also indicated that his administration would focus on funding for maternal and child health, food security, small farmers, and nutrition in the developing world. Specifically, he said his administration is “working with Africa’s people and leaders to responsibly invest in agriculture and increase productivity” in order to provide better food security, better health, and ward off pandemics.

The USGLC, in a brief paper released November 7^th, speculated on the Obama Administration’s policy priorities in the coming years as well, and concluded that development in Africa, lower vaccine costs, and lowering rates of infant mortality are among the chief issues the Administration plans to address in a second term.

Despite the challenges of complex foreign policy situations, the International Affairs Budget has strong bipartisan support, and Congress is expected to maintain support of the budget, even in the face of new fiscal and budgetary challenges in 2013. At this point, it appears that many of the Administration’s current foreign aid policies will continue in one form or another, but their exact composition remains to be seen. Devex reported yesterday that since the upcoming lame-duck session of Congress “is expected to focus on sequestration and budget cuts,” it is unlikely that we will see increases to the foreign aid budget in the remainder of 2012.

We will continue to watch and report on developments in the White House’s aid programs as they unfold.

Secretary Clinton praises $1 billion hunger pledge by InterAction members

At an event held alongside the United Nations General Assembly, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave praise and recognition to InterAction and its members for their continuing work to fight global hunger.  Clinton also announced that an alliance of 198 U.S.-based organizations have pledged more than $1 billion of private, non-governmental funds over the next three years to improve food security and nutrition worldwide.  “Global hunger is one of the most serious challenges facing our generation, but a strong commitment by organizations such as our members and the political will of governments can make a huge difference in tackling this problem,” said Sam Worthington, president and CEO of InterAction.

Through the support of thousands of smallholder famers and the sponsorship of more self-sufficient communities, InterAction’s members emphasize efforts that will provide better, more reliable nutrition for children. By providing the necessary skills and tools, farmers can produce healthier livestock and more nutritious crops, benefiting both the farmers and the local communities as a whole.

A strong commitment from both organizations and governments is needed to improve global health and fight under-nutrition.  As Worthington pointed out on Thursday, InterAction’s members compliment the efforts of U.S. Government programs, such as Feed the Future.  “NGOs’ private resources and strong local links complement the efforts of the U.S. government and others to meet development goals worldwide.”

The Obama administration is also looking to further their commitments and objectives in the field of global development.  On September 22, 2012 President Obama, without precedent from any prior U.S. administrator, signed a Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development.  The recognition of a global future, which focuses on American strength through development and diplomacy, is one important step towards a just and sustainable international order.  In this policy directive, President Obama pledges to focus U.S development efforts in a way that will maximize the impact of investments and policies, focusing on broad-based economic growth and democratic governance.  The United States will,

• Elevate broad-based economic growth as a top priority, ensuring that our investments and policies are guided by rigorous assessments of what the U.S. can do to help countries achieve sustainable growth.
• Increase the focus of resources, policy tools, and engagement in support of select countries and sub-regions where the conditions are right to sustain progress.
• Use U.S. leadership in the multilateral development banks, U.N. agencies, other international organizations, other donors, foundations, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and other stakeholders to deploy the full range of our development tools and policies at our disposal.

With the upcoming election fast approaching, the international community must take the initiative to know and understand the direction of U.S. foreign policy.  The recognition of global strength and prosperity must be fully realized no matter who represents the United States following this election season, and the relationship between the government and the non-profit sector must continue to flourish.  With increased cooperation and understanding between NGOs and the government, global development goals can be achieved more efficiently and effectively, a sentiment that was expressed by both Secretary Clinton and InterAction president and CEO, Sam Worthington.

For more information on InterAction and its members go to http://www.interaction.org/, and for the Fact Sheet: U.S. Global Development Policy in its entirety go to http://wh.gov/iLb.

Foreign aid a non-partisan issue? 
Senator Frist and Governor Richardson find much to agree on in aid policy

By Anna Jensen-Clem

Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) and Former Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM) spoke together last Friday from Columbus, Ohio about the role of U.S. foreign aid. The discussion, convened by the USGLC and moderated by Ohio Public Radio and Television Bureau Chief Karen Kasler, focused specifically on US global engagement in the context of Ohio; that is, what role will Ohio play in global development in the coming years, and how will the state negotiate changing markets, job requirements, and an influx of new consumers?

Both men were optimistic about Ohio’s and the U.S.’s ability to adapt to changing marketplaces, and both emphasized that humanitarian aid, just 1% of the US budget, is key to ensuring job growth and economic stability. Richardson, a former ambassador to the United Nations and former Governor of New Mexico, pointed to his policies in that state during his tenure as governor and emphasized cross-border economic growth and trade. An international border, he said, is an opportunity for growth rather than hostility, and engagements abroad facilitate targeted job creation in the United States.  Governor Richardson identified Ohio as a key state in the global economy, noting the state’s strategic placement geographically as well as its expanding high-tech, agricultural and manufacturing sectors; one-quarter of its workers depend on exports for their income. He also emphasized the need for bipartisan consensus in order to create jobs and facilitate free trade agreements.

Senator Frist, a cardiothoracic surgeon who specializes in heart and lung transplants and served two terms in the Senate (as Majority Leader from 2003-2007), has spent much of his time on medical mission trips to Africa. He emphasized the importance of humanitarian aid in U.S. foreign policy. He encouraged the audience to see U.S. policies as “replacing desperation and disease and poverty with health and hope and opportunity,” and argued that using humanitarian aid to stabilize tenuous regions would bring productivity and opportunities across the globe. Aid, in Senator Frist’s view, ought to be a non-partisan issue because it serves to raise struggling populations from poverty and help them contribute to the global economy. Frist frequently acknowledged the U.S.’s responsibility to provide developmental aid in the context of our common humanity. He appealed for strategic use of aid to create jobs, work to treat and cure disease, and open markets to new consumers.

When asked what the United States must to do remain competitive in the global economy, both men argued for more openness, more trade and a continued spreading of American values abroad. Governor Richardson pointed to China, India, Brazil, Nigeria, Turkey and South Africa as examples of countries whose rapid growth presents a re-ordering of the international global economy. All of these countries, he said, look to American leadership in the coming years.  Senator Frist emphasized the importance of American values abroad, and argued that the best use of aid is to bring more consumers to the table so that they can participate in the global economy. Both men also mentioned the importance of “smart power” over military strength; ideally, U.S. foreign aid would function to bring more consumers to the U.S. market and simultaneously foster growth in global health and development. Senator Frist and Governor Richardson were emphatically positive about the future of US foreign aid, and both encouraged the audience to keep up with global health and business developments over the next few months.