Foreign Assistance Reform

Discussion Draft: THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS ACT OF 2011
Proposed by Ranking Member Howard L. Berman

Overview:

Today, more than ever, our health, security, and prosperity depend on a world in which basic human needs are met, fundamental freedoms are respected, conflicts are resolved peacefully and the world's resources are used wisely. There is no escaping our obligations to help foster this environment. Not only are we morally bound to do so, but our economic and political interests demand that we address widespread poverty and chaos in the world.

Aid is not a gift. The United States provides foreign assistance because it serves OUR interests. Helping countries become more democratic, more stable, more capable of defending themselves and better at pulling themselves out of poverty is just as important for us as it is for them. Our task therefore, is to make sure that we provide this assistance in the most efficient and effective way possible.

The Global Partnerships Act of 2011 is a discussion draft of a bill to replace the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, which serves as the foundation for U.S. international aid programs, as well as the Arms Export Control Act, which contains additional authorities for arms sales and military assistance. This proposal modernizes the full spectrum of foreign assistance programs, from development to democracy to self-defense.