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The current budget debates on finishing up the 2011 budget and then tackling 2012 have raised concerns among international affairs budget wonks. As policy makers search for ways to balance the U.S.
This week the United Kingdom Secretary of State for International Development released new studies on how the UK plans to “change lives, deliver results.” The key messages – going forward, the Department for International Development (DFID) will be more focused and more selective, with more attention paid to evidence-based planning. If that has a familiar ring, you may recall hearing that U.S. programs needed to be more focused, selective, and evidence-based in a couple of recent U.S. reviews.
The House of Representatives began debate this week on the continuing resolution (H.R. 1) to fund the remainder of fiscal year 2011. The bill recommends deep cuts in development accounts, indicating that some in Congress do not agree with the White House that foreign operations should be considered a component of security-related funding.
This is a joint post with Casey Dunning.
This year’s budget season is packing a one-two punch. The President unveiled his proposal for fiscal year 2012 spending today just as the House starts debate on a continuing resolution (H.R. 1) that would fund the remaining seven months of FY2011. You’ll be able to find more in-depth analysis from the Rethink team in the coming days. For now, take a look at how some of the major foreign assistance accounts fared. The figures cover the FY2010 actual spending levels, the FY2011 request, HR. 1, and the FY2012 request.
The FY2012 federal budget will be released Monday amid what can only be described as an inhospitable environment for foreign assistance. The week also promises us some drama on Capitol Hill as the House takes up a bill to fund the rest of the current fiscal year. The bill (H.R.
Last night, President Obama addressed the Congress and the nation in a State of the Union speech. It was light on foreign policy, as expected. Nonetheless, there were two items that caught my interest.
First, he proposed freezing discretionary domestic spending. There was much speculation pre-speech that the call would be for a freeze of “non-security spending” leaving us to wonder whether that includes the international affairs budget, or just defense and homeland security. Obama’s wording may indicate that he will seek to protect funding for diplomacy and development.
The Republican Study Committee (RSC) has issued a list of proposed cuts to reduce federal spending by $2.5 trillion over ten years including nearly $1.4 billion from USAID. With the growing national consensus that budget deficits and national debt must be dealt with, lawmakers are laudably trying to turn campaign promises into the real thing. But, what the RSC proposes does not really cut foreign assistance, which is the presumable target. Instead, it cuts USAID’s ability to manage already approp
Yesterday, CGD was honored to host USAID administrator Raj Shah for a major speech outlining what he and USAID have accomplished over the past year and plans in the works for further changes to the business model. He ambitiously seeks to transform the way USAID operates by injecting an entrepreneurial business model within the agency. Shah’s general approach and specific proposals need to be supported, even while recognizing t
Marking one year into his tenure as USAID administrator and the 50th anniversary of USAID, Administrator Raj Shah will give a speech today on The Modern Development Enterprise. CGD is honored to sponsor the event.
A lot has happened in the last year – the Haitian earthquake, flooding in Pakistan, the release of the President’s Policy Directive (PPD) on Global Development, and the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR). But, a lot remains to be done.
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