Empty Wallets at Home, Crisis Abroad

This summer there was a lot of conversation surrounding the current state of US foreign aid as it pertained to the budget debacle. Although media hype regarding the issue has died down (and therefore the elderly have stopped contacting their Congressman about foreign aid), present concerns have yet to be resolved. Anyone working for a Congressman or interested in the effectiveness/ineffectiveness of US Foreign aid to African nations and the Middle East may be interested in the 'Empty Wallets at Home, Crisis Abroad' event at AEI (Co-sponsored by the Brookings Institution) " on Sept. 8. It's only 45 minutes long and you can watch in online if you cannot physically attend.

Empty Wallets at Home, Crisis Abroad

Rep Howard Berman will be speaking on reevaluating the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961

As the United States labors under the longest economic crisis of recent times, foreign aid has once again come under fire. The American people and their representatives in Congress have questioned whether generous aid programs are paying off, citing cases like Pakistan, a recipient of billions in US taxpayer funds and the home of the late Osama bin Laden, as a prime example. But there are also humanitarian demands on the US checkbook, such as the current drought in the Horn of Africa. Under tight budget constraints, it is vital that foreign aid achieves its goals. But is the half-century-old Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 doing the job?

Representative Howard Berman (D-CA) is proposing draft legislation which works to streamline, direct, and accurately measure the success of US foreign assistance. Join AEI as we welcome the ranking member of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs to roll out his vision for new legislation on the fiftieth anniversary of the Foreign Assistance Act.

A draft of the legislation will be released for public comment following the event.