Donald Trump’s Friday inauguration ushers in a new era in American development policy — one currently shrouded in uncertainty.
U.S. aid agencies have yet to see a landing team from the administration, and Trump himself has given few clues as to his policy, though his nominees for key posts as secretary of state and the ambassador to the U.N. have hinted at what may come in their confirmation hearings.
Development stakeholders worry that massive spending cuts could eliminate entire departments, or potentially agencies. Devex and other media, including the Hill, have reported that the Overseas Private Investment Corp. for example will face a difficult funding and reauthorization process. But others point to the bipartisan support in Congress, which, despite being divided on most issues, passed a series of global development bills in the past year.
About the author
Adva Saldinger@AdvaSal
Adva Saldinger is a Senior Reporter at Devex where she covers development finance, as well as U.S. foreign aid policy. Adva explores the role the private sector and private capital play in development and authors the weekly Devex Invested newsletter bringing the latest news on the role of business and finance in addressing global challenges. A journalist with more than 10 years of experience, she has worked at several newspapers in the U.S. and lived in both Ghana and South Africa.
