Report on the Reform of U.S. Foreign Aid

The Helping to Enhance the Livelihood of People Around the Globe Commission was established by the Bush administration and the Republican Congress in 2004-5. It was established to "develop and deliver actionable proposals to the President, Secretary of State and Congress to enhance and leverage the efficiency and effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance programs to reduce poverty through sustained economic growth and self-sufficiency." The majority of the members of the HELP Commission are Republicans, but a number of Democrats were appointed by the Minority members of the House and Senate.

The Report of the Commission is to be released tomorrow. It will be presented at an afternoon seminar at the Brookings Institution. The report itself will be available on the Commission website starting at 12:00 Eastern Standard Time.

The Washington Post reports that "all 20 members of the HELP Commission agreed that the current foreign affairs structure is inadequate." However, a minority of three Democrats and one Republican dissented from the recommendation State Department and radically reshape its foreign assistance, trade and diplomatic programs to create a super-size international affairs agency to meet overseas challenges. "The dissenters instead urged elevating foreign assistance and international development to a new Cabinet-level agency, according to a copy of the commission's final report.

"Either proposal would be a significant departure for the United States. The proposals are intended to influence the next administration at a time when the debate over the U.S. role overseas has become a central feature of the 2008 presidential campaign."