The Center for Global Development's work on the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 is highlighted in a piece by Reps. Berman and Connolly in a piece for The Hill.
A key goal of foreign aid is to make the right investments that reinforce America’s priorities. Unfortunately, the current foreign aid process and the underlying statute are encrusted with legislative barnacles built up over half a century that are messy, conflicting and outdated, and that actually hinder our ability to deliver foreign aid effectively and efficiently.
It is time for a complete overhaul. The 21st century requires a foreign aid program that recognizes today’s priorities and streamlines the process in the post-Cold War era. For instance, do we still need language in current law, passed in 1961, that requires the president to assure Congress that foreign aid recipients are not “controlled by the international Communist conspiracy”?
The many task forces and policy committees that have examined U.S. foreign aid have cited the myriad goals, objectives and priorities contained in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. The Center for Global Development, for example, identified more than 33 major objectives, 75 priorities and 247 directives relating to foreign aid in the act. And all of this for a miniscule piece of the federal budget. Little wonder, then, that we lack any central focus to our effort and even less of an ability to measure its effectiveness.
The Global Partnerships Act of 2012 (H.R. 6644) replaces this byzantine labyrinth of priorities by identifying eight concise goals for development assistance. The legislation simplifies the bureaucracy administering foreign aid by restoring the U.S. Agency for International Development’s policy and budget functions and clarifies the roles and relationships of key officials involved in its delivery.
In addition, the Global Partnerships Act tackles problems like the lack of transparency, accountability and oversight in the system. It requires the maintenance of an online database of information, easily accessible by the public, with complete information about all forms of U.S. foreign assistance, including an unclassified database on security assistance. This online database would provide detailed information on overhead and administrative costs for overseas projects, ensuring that U.S. taxpayers get the most out of their investment.