Erik Paulsen: “First I would just like to thank Subcommittee Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Lowey, along with the full committee…”

“First I would just like to thank Subcommittee Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Lowey, along with the full committee and Chairman Frelinghuysen and their staff for their willingness to help with this amendment, as well as for all the hard work that they have done in putting together this important funding bill. I also want to recognize Congressman Donovan, who is not able to be here today, but I offer this amendment along with him because it does seek to increase funding for the U.S. African Development Foundation by $15 million, bringing it up to the $30 million that it was awarded back in fiscal year `17. The U.S. African Development Foundation is an independent U.S. government agency that excels at doing development differently. It uses small grants to focus on ventures in the fields of food security, healthcare, education, and technology. Our taxpayer money is maximized to its full potential, as host African governments invest a share of their own money in this grant program. These grant programs are leading to self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship in countries that are plagued by conflict across the world. In fact, the Center for Global Development has ranked the USADF second only to the Millennium Challenge Corporation on the maximizing foreign efficiency scale. Mr. Chairman, the U.S. African Development Foundation represents the very best of modernized foreign assistance because they are so innovative, and I am honored to support it.…”