Financing America's Leadership

Protecting American Interests and Promoting American Values

Task Force Report
Analysis and policy prescriptions of major foreign policy issues facing the United States, developed through private deliberations among a diverse and distinguished group of experts.

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Foreign Aid

United States

Diplomacy and International Institutions

Relative to the average of the 1980’s, U.S. government spending on international affairs has fallen nearly 20 percent in real terms and will decline by as much as another 30 percent under budget-balancing plans proposed by the president and Congress.

An Independent Task Force convened by the Brookings Institution and the Council on Foreign Relations was asked to assess the consequences of this trend and to make appropriate recommendations. In its Statement, the Task Force concludes that the cuts adversely affect the ability of the United States to protect and promote its economic, diplomatic, and strategic agendas abroad. Unless the trend is reversed, American vital interests will be jeapordized.

More on:

Foreign Aid

United States

Diplomacy and International Institutions

Task Force Members

Mickey Edwards

Morton H. Halperin

Lawrence J. Korb

Richard M. Moose

Stephen J. Solarz

Top Stories on CFR

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

An impending Israeli ground invasion of Rafah could threaten more than a million civilians seeking refuge in the city and further restrict humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

Maldives

Once a close Indian partner, the Maldives is now aligning more with China. Is the island nation becoming a flash point in the China-India relationship? 

Public Health Threats and Pandemics

A global surge in avian flu outbreaks in birds and some mammals is worrying poultry farmers, scientists, and health experts. The trend is provoking questions about the future of the disease and global public health.