MCA Monitor Blog
« Rescinding Rescission | Main | Adding Value with AGRA »
June 23, 2008
The Final Cut: Smart Advocacy Reduces MCC Rescission to $58 Million
Posted by Sheila Herrling at 01:18 PM
The latest version of the FY08 supplemental bill passed by the House last week reduced the Senate-proposed rescission of the Millennium Challenge Account from $525 million to $58 million (see page 48). As we reported earlier, this "cut to the cut" was due in large part to the strong and smart advocacy efforts and policy-based information provision by outside groups, including CGD and the InterAction MCA Working Group, putting pressure on the Administration to more actively support its own flagship aid program and organizing a Senate support letter signed by 16 Senators from both sides of the aisle. The proposed cuts and advocacy responses were recently reported by Michele Kelemen on National Public Radio.
With House approval, the Senate is set to take up the final bill this week. The White House officially endorsed the House package and Senate leaders are expected to pass the bill in its current form. In the end, the final cut is a pretty good outcome all things considered. I hope that the efforts of those who fought the rescission battle hard and well eventually win the war of securing a 21st century national strategy for global development and foreign assistance. Such a strategy would:
• Elevate global development as a national interest priority;
• Align foreign assistance policies, operations, budgets and statutory authorities;
• Rebuild and rationalize organizational structures;
• Commit sufficient and flexible resources with accountability for results; and,
• Partner with others to produce results.
And while there will and should always be a substantial portion of U.S. foreign assistance for diplomatic and political objectives, foreign assistance specifically for long-term development -- programs like the MCC -- ought to play a larger role in our national interest priorities and be protected from redirection to short-term political needs.
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1198