As every American has an idea on how to deal with the challenges of a balanced federal budget, some suggest that U.S. foreign aid should be trimmed, if not eliminated, as wasteful spending.
My late husband worked 25 years in the U.S. Foreign Service, serving in Bangladesh, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Bolivia, Guatemala, the Republic of Upper Volta and Nicaragua.
I can tell you that foreign aid is far from wasteful spending, and indeed it’s probably that one part of the federal budget where taxpayers get full return on their money.
There are misconceptions about how much of the federal budget is devoted to foreign aid. Many even suggest is up to 25 percent.
According to the government website foreignassistance.gov, the federal government disburses about $58 billion a year in foreign assistance through more than 20 agencies. The U.S. Agency for International Development roughly manages $37 billion, less than one-half of 1 percent of the federal budget.
Federal spending abroad is crucial to help maintain our leadership in the world while furthering our foreign policy interests in developing democratic governments that in turn create the basis for a free market economy.
Those who decry U.S. assistance as wasteful contradict this nation’s long history of helping other nations through programs that alleviate poverty while contributing to health and disease prevention, literacy and small business development, all of which is beneficial to the United States.
Spending 1 percent of the federal budget to fulfill these goals is certainly my taxpayer money well spent.
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