Conservatives have long contributed to enhancing U.S. foreign aid programs, according to Mark Green.
“Simply put, Conservatives (and Republicans) have a long history of standing up for EFFECTIVE foreign assistance,” Green writes in a blog published by the reform coalition, Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network.
This is the latest in a series of blog entries by the former ambassador and Republican congressman on why conservatives should take up the cause in reforming U.S. aid.
He cites some conservatives who have contributed to improving U.S. foreign aid.
The late congressman, Henry Hyde, and former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist joined former Sen. Jesse Helms to help create landmark aid programs such as African debt relief, the Millennium Challenge Account, and HIV/AIDS and malaria initiatives, Green says.
Helms in 1995 sought plans to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Even former U.S. presidents, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, according to Green, acknowledged the importance of enhancing the delivery of overseas aid.In two previous blog posts, Green noted that U.S. foreign aid should be reformed to promote a coherent organizational structure and ensure that taxpayers’ money is spent efficiently. Overseas aid reform will also provide conservatives with an opportunity to reaffirm their values.
