Language inserted in a Senate appropriations bill has set the stage for a heightened debate about how the U.S. government should fund its democracy and governance programs overseas.
The Senate appropriations bill for State and Foreign Operations directs the Obama administration to use grants and cooperative agreements, instead of contracts, as the “primary delivery mechanism” for democracy programs. While this debate is not new, the Senate’s entry into the conversation has riled some government contractors, and one lobbying group has voiced its “strong opposition” to the language in a letter to the subcommittee’s leadership.
Stan Soloway, president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, which advocates on behalf of government contractors, wrote in a letter to Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. Patrick Leahy: “This section would make grants and cooperative agreements virtually the sole funding mechanisms for foreign assistance programs in the democracy assistance sector, and thus eliminate a significant portion of [the U.S. Agency for International Development’s] partner community that has been implementing such programs through contracts for decades.”
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.
