The Administration’s New Budget Doesn’t Give a Sh*t About Development Assistance
But Congress doesn’t have to feel the same
The Administration just released its recommendations for the full US Budget called “A New Foundation for American Greatness,” and boy oh boy, does its content match the absurdity of its title.
Scrolling through the Budget we see in big, bold letters the proclamation, “ELIMINATION: DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE.” The Administration has suggested cutting all funding for the Development Assistance (DA) Account, which provides funding for US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) clean water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programs, as well as food security, basic education, gender equity, and climate change programs. The Budget also goes as far as to suggest eliminating much of USAID’s Global Health Programs (GHP) which help communities, especially the millions of women and girls, who are at risk of infectious diseases and malnutrition.
Eliminating foreign assistance accounts like GHP and DA is actually disastrous for American prosperity…ahem, I mean American ‘greatness’.
The Budget provides a shoddy justification saying: “Consistent with the Administration’s goals of streamlining foreign assistance and freeing up funding for rebuilding the Nation’s military and for pursuing critical priorities here at home, the Budget eliminates the Development Assistance (DA) account and reduces the number of countries receiving direct bilateral economic and development assistance by more than 40 (or by nearly 45) percent compared to 2016, in order to focus on those that are most critical to U.S. national security.”
Essentially, the Administration feels that by eliminating strategic and effective international assistance accounts, like Development Assistance, then they can refocus funds on other overseas operations — military and economic programs that give funds to politically strategic countries instead of poorer countries that actually need assistance.
The Budget shows utter disregard for providing assistance to developing countries throughout Africa, Latin America, and South Asia and has boldly stated that they don’t want to invest in critical US programs abroad.
The Budget also reduces funding for several global health programs, including HIV/AIDS antiretroviral treatment, with the expectation that other donors can, and should, increase their commitments to these causes. But guess what? The US has no control over what other donor countries contribute to global health funds! This statement is tone deaf and clearly doesn’t uphold the long-standing cooperation among developed countries to serve the needs of the poorest and most marginalized communities around the world.
We Need the Development Assistance Account
At a time when the US needs to maintain its global leadership and to protect the lives of Americans, maintaining foreign assistance is critical. Foreign assistance provides just that: assistance. The Development Assistance Account is not meant to fully subsidize other countries; it’s meant to help poor communities reach their full potential. The foreign assistance Budget equals about 1% of the US Budget, so how on earth would the US create cost savings by eliminating those funds? The simple answer is: it won’t.
USAID and the State Department manage programs that serve the three D’s: development, diplomacy and defense. Those programs allow for the US to strategically help countries to bolster their economies, enact sound governance structures, leverage their own resources to provide for their people, and to open markets and trade with other countries. Foreign-policy and national security experts say that the United States’ role in stabilizing global development and health services helps to quell disease outbreaks and terrorist threats, as well as maintain US influence around the world. The proposal to cut funding for the DA account shows a lack of understanding of the benefits it provides and a blatant disregard for US national security.
By eliminating development assistance and reducing investments in overall global health, the US risks losing global leadership and foundational relationships with other countries. The United States will seemingly cede power to other donor countries, like China, that have and will continue to make investments in developing countries.
USAID and its Programs Need to Stay Independent
The Administration states: “the Budget refocuses economic and development assistance on countries and sectors that will have the most immediate and direct benefits toward strengthening U.S. national and homeland security, defeating ISIS and other transnational terrorist groups, fostering economic opportunities and opening markets for U.S. businesses, and supporting key strategic partners and allies.”
Are you kidding me?! That is NOT what the Development Assistance Account was intended to do. USAID’s DA programs were developed to focus on long-term programs that improve the quality of lives for people in the poorest region of the world. In doing so, the US promotes a positive global image while deepening relationships with other countries. By “refocusing” US assistance on those aforementioned objectives, the Administration seemingly de-prioritizes USAID as a federal agency, and the critical programs that allow for the US to help countries develop and become economically independent.
The Administration went on to propose moving some development funds to a State Department managed account called Economic Support Fund (ESF)— actually now they renamed it the Economic Support and Development Fund. But ESF only provides money for politically significant countries, and not for the countries that are the most in need. Merging the two funds would make it harder for money to go toward development projects in the poorest countries and would dissolve a key role US government has played for over forty years.
Congress Can Save the Day — Seriously!
Before the eye rolls begin, it’s really important to know that Congress stepped up and defended foreign assistance for the last fiscal year. They understood the value of the work US government carries out abroad, and how those activities benefit us at home too. And to be honest, they deserve a HUGE thank you for protecting US interests.
Now is the time for action, not inaction. The Administration’s Budget is just a recommendation! Congress has the power to question and disregard the Administration’s abysmal request to defund international assistance.
Right now, Congressional committees are crafting the US Budget and soon other Committees will decide on how best to allocate those funds for specific activities. We must hold these decision makers accountable in order to protect US interests.
We, the taxpayers, and the people who elected these Representatives, need to make sure that foreign assistance is not cut from the US Budget.
The proposed Budget is placing US national security at risk; US operations abroad could suffer, which in turn could cause our country’s economic stability and influence to wean. Not to mention the millions of lives that may be lost as a result of the US reducing its assistance. So please, contact your Representatives, call/email/send carrier pigeons to every office, and demand that Congress fully-fund foreign assistance (especially the Development Assistance Account).
