MFAN Statement to the Trump Administration and Congress

February 3, 2025 (WASHINGTON)

“This is a time when the United States should be bolstering our foreign assistance and national security tools, rather than weakening them through unprecedented actions that undercut America’s security and influence.

The United States faces many threats to our future security and prosperity: increasing aggression from China, Russia, and Iran, the growth of economic competitors, extreme weather events, unpredictable pandemics, and unprecedented levels of displacement and migration.

How U.S. policymakers address these challenges – what investments are made and what programs are prioritized -- will have significant implications for America’s future.

One of the important tools to tackle the challenges confronting our nation is foreign assistance. While costing only a penny on the dollar, it plays a vital role in advancing a wide range of the United States’ geopolitical imperatives. Led by the work of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other agencies, these programs are a key instrument for America’s influence and strength.

It is with all of this in mind that MFAN urges the Administration to:

• reverse course on the abolishment (de facto or otherwise) of USAID
• lift the freeze on foreign assistance programs
• fully engage Congress as a partner on its 90-day review of foreign assistance
• communicate transparently to Congress and other stakeholders about its vision for the future of America’s global engagement

MFAN calls on Congress to exercise its legal authority to:

• carefully review and lead any proposed reorganization of foreign assistance agencies (pursuant to the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 and other statutes)
• insist on full and transparent engagement by the new Administration moving forward on proposed changes to the USG foreign assistance architecture

The stakes are high. Now is the time for policymakers – in the Administration and in Congress -- to get to work on common sense reforms needed to help ensure America’s security and a more prosperous economy for decades to come.”

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About MFAN

The Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) is a bipartisan reform coalition composed of international development and foreign policy practitioners, policy advocates, and experts from the U.S. and Global South. MFAN works to strengthen the effectiveness of U.S. development and humanitarian aid in order to build more resilient societies, promote democratic approaches to development, improve the lives and opportunities of the most vulnerable populations, and maximize the sustainable impact of U.S. taxpayer dollars.

For media inquiries, please reach out to Tod Preston, MFAN Executive Director, at Tod.Preston@modernizeaid.net

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