As an update to our earlier blog on this issue, rumor has it the original $525 million rescission of FY08 funding to the MCC has been reduced in conference to around $60 million. We applaud the efforts by civil society and Congressional representatives that turned the tide not turned early by the Administration. InterAction, on behalf of its NGO MCA Working Group, wrote to remove the offsets and highlighted the fact that they:
undercut long-term solutions to the very problems the amendments are intended to fix.”
And in a letter to the Appropriations Committee, 16 Senators expressed their concern that:
these cuts will severely curtail the MCC’s long-term programs for poverty reduction in Africa and send a dangerous message to the developing world” and urged the committee to “send a strong message to developing countries … by restoring the $525m rescission to the MCC’s FY08 funding allocation."
While the final rescission is significantly lower than the original proposal, it sets a bad precedent for robbing long-term development programs to pay for short-term needs, and points to the serious need for a makeover of U.S. foreign assistance. In this case, however, what a wonderfully odd occurrence – Congress defending a Presidential initiative. Perhaps we are finally at a point where the MCC can transition from a Bush Administration flagship program to simply a solid, sensible, 21st century U.S. development assistance program.
