Is Obama’s re-election a boon for US foreign aid?

Barack Obama’s re-election Tuesday (Nov. 6) as U.S. president suggests a continuation of U.S. foreign aid reforms focused on food aid, global health, country ownership and private sector engagement.

Obama’s win is good news for the U.S. Agency for International Development, which could have faced deep budget cuts in a Republican administration. Under Obama, the agency is expected to continue with USAID Forward, its broad reform agenda that, among other things, seeks changes to procurement and implementation practices.

Questions over leadership, however, linger. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is not expected to stay for more than a few months into Obama’s second term, if at all. Some Washington insiders also suggest that USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah is interested in pursuing a political career sooner rather than later.

Meanwhile, USAID and the White House face some of the same challenges when it comes to dealing with the U.S. Congress. Tuesday’s elections saw the Republican Party maintaining their hold on the House of Representatives and Democrats keeping control of the Senate.

What do you think of Obama’s re-election? What should be his administration’s foreign aid priorities in the next four years? What should it do differently? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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