As U.S. President Joe Biden takes the podium Tuesday to address world leaders at the 78th United Nations General Assembly, the global health and development priorities many expect him to champion are subject to increasing political infighting at home.
Policy areas that were once rare opportunities for bipartisan cooperation — global health, humanitarian aid, global development — are becoming ensnared in America’s political culture wars as the country gears up for an inevitably bitter election in 2024.
Many global health advocates hoped the COVID-19 pandemic would drive more attention to priorities such as pandemic preparedness and universal health care. But in doing so, it also dragged issues and institutions rarely mentioned in American electoral politics into that polarized arena. That has raised questions about the durability of bipartisan support for these efforts and the Biden administration’s strategy for defending them.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.
