The U.S. government’s fiscal year ends in a matter of days, and while much of the attention is focused on whether the government will shut down, there’s another problem, too. There are potentially billions of dollars in foreign affairs funding being held up and due to expire.
The budget process typically includes some back and forth between Congress and the administration about the specifics of spending, but this year it seems to be more drawn out and involves more money than usual, several development experts told Devex.
USAID and other agencies routinely notify Congress about how they plan to allocate funding, and lawmakers have 15 days to respond. These approvals usually happen quickly and smoothly, but if lawmakers have questions, spending can be put on “hold” pending clarification. Once those questions are answered, the hold is generally lifted and the money can then be assigned to that specific purpose.
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.
