Washington, D.C. – Representatives Adam Smith (D-WA09) and Ted Yoho (R-FL03), co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus for Effective Foreign Assistance, led 67 of their colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney calling for open dialogue on the proposed changes to the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development:
“Any redesign of U.S. foreign assistance programs must be done in a transparent manner and in consultation with the development community and with Congress.” said Congressman Adam Smith. “Public engagement during this critical juncture is necessary in order to improve the overall effectiveness of foreign assistance and bring further stability to the world.”
“In these financially restrictive times, as the United States re-evaluates our foreign assistance programs Congress must remain involved and work with the Administration to create the most efficient and effective programs possible,” said Congressman Ted Yoho. “By doing so, we can lay out specific goals to transition countries from aid to trade as rapidly as possible for maximum effect.”
“Strong bipartisan Congressional support for foreign assistance programs is a key element of the United States’ global leadership. Over the last 15 years, Congress has worked with Republican and Democratic administrations to improve U.S. foreign assistance with powerful results, such as the Global Food Security Act and the Foreign Assistance Transparency and Accountability Act,” wrote the Members of Congress. “Given Congress’ role as the sole body in the authorizing and budgetary processes, we believe that any effort to enact reforms without a strong partnership between Congress and the Administration will not be sustainable.”
Read the full text of the letter here.
The letter was co-signed by Representatives Gwen Moore (D-WI04), Thomas Garrett (R-VA05), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA07), Dwight Evans (D-PA02), Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI01), James McGovern (D-MA02), Shea-Porter (D-NH01), Ted Lieu (D-CA33), Ami Bera (D-CA07), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA47), Frank Pallone (D-NJ06), Austin Scott (R-GA08), Mark Pocan (D-WI02), Keith Ellison (D-MN05), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR03), Gene Green (D-TX29), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH09), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL16), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA08), Tom Emmer (R-MN06), Bobby Rush (D-IL01), Dennis Ross (R-FL15), Karen Bass (D-CA37), Julia Brownley (D-CA26), Salud Carbajal (D-CA24), Steve Cohen (D-TN09), Jim Cooper (D-TN05), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX30), Derek Kilmer (D-WA06), Albio Sires (D-NJ08), Ted Poe (R-TX02), Michael McCaul (R-TX10), Anthony Brown (D-MD04), Steve Chabot (R-OH01), David Cicilline (D-RI01), Peter DeFazio (D-OR04), Debbie Dingell (D-MI12), Anna Eshoo (D-CA18), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ03), Denny Heck (D-WA10), John Katko (R-NY24), Ro Khanna (D-CA17), Jim Langevin (D-RI02), Barbara Lee (D-CA13), Sander Levin (D-MI09), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA19), Betty McCollum (D-MN04), Stephanie Murphy (D-FL07), Scott Perry (R-PA04), Jared Polis (D-CO02), David Price (D-NC04), Jacky Rosen (D-NV03), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA40), David Scott (D-GA13), Lee Zeldin (R-NY01), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR01), Susan Davis (D-CA53), Ted Deutch (D-FL22), Lois Frankel (D-FL21), John Yarmuth (D-KY03), Chris Stewart (R-UT02), Rick Larsen (D-WA02), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA20), Tim Walz (D-MN01), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL23), Joe Wilson (R-SC02), Adam Schiff (D-CA28).
The following organizations support the call for transparency and coordination:
InterAction, Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network, Alliance for Peacebuilding , CARE USA , Basic Education Coalition, RESULTS, Islamic Relief USA, Global Health Council, Action Against Hunger, Save the Children, Advocates for Youth, World Vision, Malaria No More, Fund for Global Health, Heartland Alliance, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, TB and Malaria, PATH, Global Citizen, The Hunger Project, Elizabeth R Griffin Research Foundation, IntraHealth International, One Earth Future, Noncommunicable Disease (NCD) Roundtable, Lutheran World Relief, American Heart Association, American Stroke Association, WaterAid, Global Communities, Catholic Relief Services, Refugees International, ONE Campaign.