1-23-09 Clinton Visits Usaid Statement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact:

Tawana Jacobs, 202-552-6534 (Office), 202-297-1696 (Cell), [email protected] Nasserie Carew, 202-552-6561 (Office), 202-341-3814 (Cell), [email protected]

EMPOWERED USAID CRITICAL IN CLINTON’S EFFORT TO REBUILD AMERICA’S FACE ABROAD STATEMENT FROM SAMUEL A. WORTHINGTON, INTERACTION PRESIDENT & CEO Washington, DC (January 23, 2009)—“InterAction and its 175 member organizations applaud Secretary Clinton’s statement that ‘Robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-term tools for securing America’s future’ and that the U.S. Agency for International Development will be a critical ‘partner’ to the State department. We are pleased that President Obama and Secretary Clinton recognize development as one of three legs on America’s foreign policy stool. The international humanitarian and development community remains concerned, however, that development appointments continue to be seen as a second tier priority. When the secretary visited USAID today, she met with a staff pushed to the background by budget cuts, staffing shortages, and President Bush’s initiative to create PEPFAR and the Millennium Challenge Account. If the Obama administration’s national security plans and efforts to improve America’s image in the world are to be successful, international development must be given immediate and significant attention. As Secretary Clinton mentioned in her speech yesterday, improved collaboration between State and USAID will be necessary to achieve future foreign policy successes. To make this improved relationship possible, it’s imperative that the secretary nominate and empower an inspiring leader to head USAID and become America’s face of development abroad. In the face of competing budgetary priorities during a deep economic recession, the new leader of USAID will be needed to help re-shape our nation’s thinking about the necessity for effective foreign assistance. Rewriting our antiquated and broken Foreign Assistance Act written more than 45 years ago and developing a national strategy for global development are just two of the items we hope to see on the priority list. “

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Visit www.interaction.org/transition to read more about how InterAction and its member organizations have advised the Obama administration and new Congress. InterAction is the largest alliance US-based nongovernmental international humanitarian relief and development organizations with 175 members. Our members operate in every developing country, working with local communities to overcome poverty and suffering by helping to improve