The Hill News

With the FY11 budget finally in the bag and a little spring break, Congress returns to Washington next week to begin negotiations for next year’s budget. All federal spending will be scrutinized through the lenses of economic impact and maximum effectiveness, and this is good news for foreign aid.

Foreign aid has a long history of boosting the American economy:  11 of the 15 largest importers of American goods and services are countries that graduated from U.S. foreign assistance. When poor countries put policies in place that promote equitable and inclusive growth, they start to become consumers of U.S. goods, which then creates American jobs.

Foreign aid is also getting a boost in effectiveness: the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN), which I am a founding member, released today ! some clear, practical recommendations for how policymakers can build on already significant reform progress to make U.S. foreign assistance more effective at alleviating poverty, eradicating disease, and driving sustainable economic growth in developing countries.

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