May 11, 2017 (WASHINGTON) – This statement is delivered on behalf of the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) by Co-Chairs George Ingram and Connie Veillette.
MFAN welcomes the nomination of Ambassador Mark Green to serve as the next Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Permanent leadership at the U.S. government’s lead development agency is crucial in ensuring a strong development voice as we continue to tackle a variety of challenges around the world. We applaud President Trump for moving to fill this important position.
Ambassador Green currently serves as the President of the International Republican Institute and has valuable global development experience. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania under President George W. Bush and served four terms as a U.S. Representative from Wisconsin. As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Amb. Green helped craft legislation that created the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which have increased the effectiveness and impact of U.S. foreign assistance over the past decade.
MFAN looks forward to Amb. Green maintaining the elevated role of USAID, which has been transformed during the last two administrations into a modern and accountable institution. USAID has adopted many of the same aid effectiveness principles – including transparency, evaluation, and country ownership – that leaders such as Amb. Green built into the MCC model. USAID also provides a valuable and expert voice to interagency policy discussions and should remain empowered to do so.
“Mark Green understands the value of development and diplomacy as pillars of US foreign policy. We hope he will continue to build on the progress made in modernizing USAID,” said Connie Veillette, MFAN co-chair and Senior Fellow at The Lugar Center.
“Ambassador Green is an expert on development issues and a thought leader on reform. We look forward to working with him in his new capacity to further enhance the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance,” said George Ingram, MFAN Co-Chair and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution.
MFAN urges the Senate to consider Ambassador Green’s nomination as soon as possible.
