On the recordSeptember 28, 2023
The United States Agency for International Development's capital investment fund supports facility construction, information technology, and real property maintenance. These include efforts to accelerate the construction of new, secure, safe, and functional office facilities for USAID personnel overseas. Without this funding, these diplomats would be vulnerable and at greater risk for harm on less secured compounds. This fund also supports information technology security, including efforts critical to cybersecurity and real property maintenance and repairs. I don't hear the gentleman talking about the fact that the policy of countering Chinese influence costs a little bit of money, also. I think this provides us a bigger bang for our buck. Without this funding, the Agency would be unable to upgrade and secure the IT environment against external and internal threats that could damage our national security and expose personally identifiable information of not only Americans but the participants we assist in times of crisis. Mr. Chair, this amendment is shortsighted, and I urge my colleagues to oppose it. I yield back the balance of my time.
