Ready, Get Set, Rally for US Foreign Aid Reform Legislation

by Daniel J Gerstle · 2009-11-26 09:29:00 UTC
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Interaction, the Washington, DC, based policy and advocacy organization representing a large number of your favorite humanitarian and development aid agencies, has just released their latest summary of US foreign aid reform legislation.

Note that there is a huge amount of information, so they've boiled it down thin here. Expect more details on what legislation is coming forward in the next three months to come on their site and here on Change.org. To start with, readers, activists, and advocates will be empowered to consider how reform legislation works in the US government. Let's say that USAID nominee Rajiv Shah wins the post and decides to, for example, stop requiring USAID banners to be flown at events in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia. There is a debate and letter to be developed by USAID, then the same at State, then the US Department of Agriculture and Pentagon will want to weigh in. An Act is brought by representatives in the House and senators in the Senate. Each has its own debate. For an act to become a bill and ultimately a law, both houses of congress will have to pass their own versions, then produce a unified version for the President's signature. More details coming here after a review of the proposals.

[Photo: USAID food aid products, re-sold, Manogamo]

Daniel J Gerstle is a journalist, human rights researcher, and humanitarian aid consultant. He is Editor and Chief Correspondent for HELO: The Crisis Story Magazine.
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