2013 Briefing Book - Print Version - Aipac

FOREIGN AID
Foreign aid plays a critical role in enabling the United States to flex its economic muscle abroad
to achieve its foreign policy goals, as well as establish new economic opportunities for American
businesses and workers.
Investing Modestly to Save Money in the Long Run
At a time of declining budgetary resources, foreign aid is a cost-effective and relatively small
investment that saves U.S. taxpayers money. Using foreign aid dollars wisely today helps prevent
the more costly wars, crises and disasters that might otherwise occur. Prevention—whether of
terror attacks, weapons proliferation, pandemic disease, economic meltdown, societal collapse or
the spread of radical ideology—is always cheaper and easier.
“The United States has the best military in the world and we must protect it, but many of our
security challenges require other instruments,” Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey wrote to top congressional appropriators
in 2011. “The return on investment from robust diplomatic efforts and targeted development
programs is the protection of both the lives of our people not sent into harm’s way and our
nation’s fiscal health as we prevent problems from leading to armed conflict.”
Helping Abroad to Protect Americans at Home
The United States can no longer wish away the world’s growing problems and hope that they do not
reach our shores. As former President George W. Bush wrote, “Many of the world’s problems—terrorist
networks, criminal gangs, drug syndicates, pandemic diseases—are no more than a half-day plane ride
from the United States.” The terrorist attacks of 9/11 should have forever put to rest the notion that we
can disengage from the world without consequences for our homeland and for our people.
To keep America safe, President Bush went on to write, “America has a direct stake in the
progress and hope of other nations.” That means tuning our attention and resources to what he
described as the world’s “hopeless, poorly controlled areas.”
Foreign aid helps bring political, economic and social stability to these very “hopeless, poorly
controlled areas” around the world. Foreign aid helps prevent these areas from becoming breeding
grounds for terror, disease, poverty and lawlessness that can spill over into other countries and
directly threaten American interests.
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