Abolishing USAID hurts multiple US priorities
Abolishing the congressionally funded USAID would hurt U.S. interests in multiple ways that go beyond the core principle of U.S. policy to save lives.
USAID’s efforts to prevent conflict around the world, encourage democratic and pluralistic processes and protect human rights, reduce suffering from death and disease, encourage sustainable economic growth, and prevent environmental destruction reflect the essence of the United States. They help build an international environment that services U.S. interests and values.
They also constitute soft power projection to compete against Russia’s and China’s anti-American posture and activities around the world. As China expands its diplomatic and economic influence around the world, American support for systems of oversight, accountability, and sustainable economic and environmental decisions helps prevent China from entrapping countries in debt and diplomatic subservience and from monopolizing critical minerals or strategic access points, about which the Trump administration is so concerned with respect to the Panama Canal.
At the time when Russia is selling its military services and engaging in egregious aggression, USAID programming that prevents and diffuses conflict and counters Moscow’s misinformation and disinformation campaigns is an important tool to mitigate Russia’s pernicious influence.
USAID’s efforts also prevent the spread of deadly terrorism that still boils across Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia and affects Americans and U.S. assets too. Programs that lift people out of poverty, foster economic development, encourage access to justice, and promote better governance address the root causes on which terrorism thrives.
And efforts that prevent life-ending or debilitating illness and protect healthy ecosystems support sustainable economic growth, and prevent the global spread of infectious diseases that hurt U.S. citizens and the United States as well. All these USAID efforts help prevent the migration flows the Trump administration is so strongly determined to stop.
Brookings experts consider the ramifications of a shutdown of USAID and freeze on U.S. foreign assistance under Trump.
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