Last Week in the US International COVID-19 Response

eschabacker — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 18:58:32 +0000

In the global response to COVID-19, the Biden administration made news last week on several fronts. Here is a quick recap and some ideas for moving forward.

Blog Address:

Blog: https://www.cgdev.org/cgd-podcast

Author(s):

Jocilyn Estes

Julia Kaufman

Eleni Smitham

What Does Biden’s “Make It in America” Agenda Mean for Development?

hschoech — Fri, 04 Mar 2022 19:06:00 +0000

In his State of Union address, President Biden called on Congress to pass a competitiveness bill that he can sign into law. The House and Senate have each advanced a large legislative package to bolster US competitiveness—particularly with respect to China.

Blog Address:

Blog: https://www.cgdev.org/cgd-podcast

Author(s):

Erin Collinson

Jocilyn Estes

Two Things We Hope to Hear in President Biden’s First State of the Union

hschoech — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 17:31:11 +0000

President Biden is scheduled to deliver his first State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress tonight. When it comes to foreign policy, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is certain to take center stage. But we also expect President Biden will speak to ongoing efforts to curb the COVID-19 pandemic and tackle the climate crisis. Here are two commitments we hope to hear from the president.

Blog Address:

Blog: https://www.cgdev.org/cgd-podcast

Author(s):

Erin Collinson

Christy Beauchemin

Aid Alone Will Not Solve the Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan: Exploring “All Options Available”

egrant — Fri, 21 Jan 2022 19:51:34 +0000

Aid alone will not resolve the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Without a functioning financial system, many Afghans will remain unable to buy essential goods, including food and medicine. Humanitarian actors seeking to relieve the effects of these shortages will struggle to move money into and within the country to finance their operations. And the Afghan economy will slide more deeply into economic and political turmoil, perpetuating the crisis and undoubtably encouraging greater external displacement.

Blog Address:

Blog: https://www.cgdev.org/cgd-podcast

Author(s):

Sarah Rose

Michael Pisa

Hurry Up and Wait: Biden’s USAID Nominations Hit a Wall in the Senate

hschoech — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 20:14:49 +0000

We’re rapidly approaching the end of the calendar year, and USAID has just three of 11 Senate-confirmed officials in place. Sadly, this represents solid progress compared to the staffing timelines of the past two administrations.

Blog Address:

Blog: https://www.cgdev.org/cgd-podcast

Author(s):

Erin Collinson

Jocilyn Estes

Christy Beauchemin

Four Big Questions for Biden’s Pick to Lead DFC

jgaines — Tue, 30 Nov 2021 23:12:19 +0000

Back in August, President Biden nominated Scott Nathan to serve as CEO of the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). This week, Nathan will finally have the chance to share his vision for the still-relatively-new agency before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Ahead of tomorrow’s hearing, we profile four big questions facing the agency.

Blog Address:

Blog: https://www.cgdev.org/cgd-podcast

Author(s):

Erin Collinson

Jocilyn Estes

Optimism and Advice for Advancing USAID’s Vision for Locally-led Development: A Conversation With Randy Tift

egrant — Fri, 19 Nov 2021 15:08:34 +0000

I sat down with Randy Tift who, between 2017 and 2021, co-led USAID’s Effective Partnering and Procurement Reform (EPPR) process and launched the New Partnerships Initiative (NPI), under the leadership of then-USAID Administrator Mark Green. Randy is currently a Senior Associate at Oxford House. He’s also working on an in-depth paper on the past and future of USAID’s reform agenda, which CGD will publish in early 2022. Randy is optimistic about what he sees taking shape at the agency and has some ideas for how to advance Power’s vision.

Blog Address:

Blog: https://www.cgdev.org/cgd-podcast

Author(s):

Sarah Rose

“Challenge is our Middle Name:” Key Issues for MCC in FY2022

hschoech — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 19:00:38 +0000

We’re already a few weeks into the new fiscal year, but nevertheless it’s good to see the House Foreign Affairs Committee has plans to delve into the FY2022 budget request for the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), alongside the requests for DFC and the Peace Corps. Looking only at the topline figure, MCC appears to fare well this year, coming in at $912 million. This is the highest request since FY2017 and equal to last year’s enacted level. But that topline belies a major recission of $515 million in unobligated prior year funds, which could have real implications for the agency’s operations now and in the future.

Blog Address:

Blog: https://www.cgdev.org/cgd-podcast

Author(s):

Sarah Rose

A Hot Topic: The Role of US Development Assistance in Addressing the Climate Crisis

hschoech — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 16:31:20 +0000

With COP26 only weeks away, policymakers around the world are focusing renewed attention on the climate crisis—and the US Congress is no exception. An upcoming House Foreign Affairs hearing, convened jointly by the Subcommittee on International Development, International Organizations, and Global Corporate Social Impact and the Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber, will profile US plans to combat climate change through development assistance.

Blog Address:

Blog: https://www.cgdev.org/cgd-podcast

Author(s):

Jocilyn Estes

Sarah Rose

The US Trade Representative Outlined a New US-China Trade Policy. What Does This Mean for Africa?

hschoech — Thu, 07 Oct 2021 15:42:30 +0000

After a lengthy review of the Trump administration’s trade policy toward China, the Biden administration unveiled its approach on October 4th. It is the conclusion of the Biden administration that structural inequities in trade relations remain, and that China is not compliant with Phase I of the agreement it reached with the Trump administration. The American position, as outlined by US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, carries implications for African economies.

Blog Address:

Blog: https://www.cgdev.org/cgd-podcast

Author(s):

W. Gyude Moore