House panel to vote on bill that would slash State Department funding, impose new restrictions

www.washingtonpost.com... IQA3NxocI_blog.html

Many atsers have called for it. In order to ease the debt burden, we are now talking slashing foreign aid.

A key House panel is to vote Wednesday on a measure that would slash many areas of State Department and foreign aid funding, and place new restrictions on assistance to Pakistan, Egypt and Yemen.

Pakistan, and Yemen, the holders of a-queda, are first on the list. Good.
But what kind of social ramifications will this have? Will the countries now encourage these groups out of retaliation?

The article goes on to announce that it will double aid to Pakistan(huh?) Afghanistan, and Iraq. But there will be an overall 11%

I don't know if it is a good idea to cut assistance to other countries, but cutting contributions to private entities such as the world bank definetly gets a thumbs up from me.

reply to post by nixie_nox


We can no more financially support the planet than we can police it. We need to take care of home first. Our people are hungry, homeless, jobless & hopeless. Our infrastructure is falling apart. Our schools systems are failing. Our medical expenses are making us choose between medicine or medical care and food and housing. We get our own house in order.

Not that we are suffering like many countries. The point of foreign aid is humanitarian assistance. But I always wonder if the poor of these countries ever get it.
I think by lifting embargos and encouraging trade, these countries can get out an impoverished state. Much like forcing someone off of welfare to fend for themselves.
The US has spent billions in foreign aid, and some of the countries are poorer then when we started giving them assistance.
Apparently teh world bank is used to give loans to saddle countries with debt, and keeping them in poverty. It is a good thing if we stop funding it.

Well honestly i feel bad for the American people but at the same time its their own fault. Yes there are some people trying to make a difference and stop the corruption but most of the American people just suck it up and let the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. USA cant even support itself but yet it tries to support other countries... If USA really wanted to get out of this hole all they have to do is call all the troops home and stop foriegn aid for a couple years. They need to stop giving all those tax cuts to the super rich and deffinatley a new president. its funny also how they say that health care is too expensive and whatnot but since before i was born canada has ahad free healthcare and we do are not struggling with our debt.

Originally posted by nixie_nox
The article goes on to announce that it will double aid to Pakistan(huh?) Afghanistan, and Iraq. But there will be an overall 11%

You have to read the fine print when the government releases information. I would not be surprised if they were using this logic:

We'll double aid this year and next with the expectation that the Pakinstan and Iraq economies will create lucrative business deals for corporations in the United States and through taxing we'll offset the aid in 10 years and make a profit.

That economic theory pretty much goes for everything that Washington does - we are nothing more than their American Express card.

[edit]
A 0% interest one at that - without minimum payments, and no expectation of ever being paid back.

Hillary Clinton said she is copying what her husband did to DOD.

The Quadrennial Defense Review that Bill Clinton did to DOD cut alllll the blue color civilian jobs from DOD as well as entire military units and contracted them out. The savings were used abroad to buy countries/dictators off.

Hillary said at the Foreign Council big meeting she was doing the same exact thing to the US State Department...ax their good paying jobs and contract their jobs out....so she has more money to use abroad to buy dictators/countries off.

Seems Bill's plan made America worse didn't it?

So, basically, they want to cut funding to programs that actually HELP people, so they can afford to keep bombing them.

Of course we should stop giving aide to countries and institutions across the globe, and I have a great idea to get at least some aide to the poor. All those companies with overseas manufacturing and business presence that skip out on taxes here can help support the slave labor they keep in those countries. They could either fund some kind of entitlement programs or raise wages to some kind of living standard. I'm ok spending a few more dollars on goods if it means someone across the globe can get a decent meal.

Funny, at least when I just tried it, your link didn"t work.

But, do you how many good "measures" pass in the HOUSE just to get squashed in the Senate?

Happens all the time, I doubt this one will ever pass in the senate.