Former President George W. Bush and Senator Bob Corker Express Support for U.S. Foreign Aid Programs

In light of the sharp cuts to the International Affairs budget recently proposed by the Trump administration, former President George W. Bush in an interview with NPR argued for continued foreign aid funding as well as citizenship pathways for undocumented immigrants. Similarly, U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, pushed back against proposed funding cuts to humanitarian assistance programs, according to the Associated Press.Bush specifically expressed support for U.S. aid programs that fight AIDS in Africa, citing security and moral imperatives to fund the programs. He explained that “it's in our national security interests as well as in our moral interest to continue funding this program.” Bush further observed that the country periodically experiences swings in isolationist sentiment and voiced caution about undervaluing relationships with other countries.Corker vocally defended U.S. foreign aid after a recent trip to a refugee settlement in Uganda. Corker told the AP that “without U.S. leadership, these people would have no hope. I think Americans, if they saw what I see here, and I see in other places, would be glad that our country does what it does.”Andrew Natsios, former head of USAID for the Bush administration, recently described the Trump Administration’s calls for foreign aid cuts as attacks on the legacies of former Republican Presidents Reagan, Bush senior, and Bush junior, all of whom increased foreign aid spending. Natsios further stressed the important role of soft power for U.S. global engagement:

“I think the notion that the administration seems to have that there aren't going to be any threats to the United States that require soft power response is nonsense.”

The Republican Platform in 2016 included a robust foreign aid program. Natsios also stated that the Trump campaign issued a statement supporting robust foreign aid, but the administration’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2018 includes a drastic cut of approximately 28% to the State Department.