I agree with you that our foreign aid is an important aspect of our foreign policy, but our system demands reform, and I am pleased to hear that the Chairman has made reform a priority.

Reform should address three concerns.  First, a new law should place poverty reduction as the primary purpose of US foreign aid. 

Second, the Committee should coordinate with a White House led National Strategy for Global Development that brings together all aspects of development such as trade, aid, migration, and finance. 

Third, the new law should empower poor people themselves to lift themselves out of poverty.  By providing poor people and their governments with more information, capacity and control over their own development, we can make them true partners in the fight against poverty and injustice. 

I urge you to use this opportunity to write a new Foreign Assistance Act and refocus our foreign assistance on fighting poverty through empowering the poor.