U.S. Foreign Assistance (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Revised Nov. 1, 2024 |
| Report Number |
IF10183 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Marian L. Lawson, Emily M. Morgenstern |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
Foreign assistance is an instrument of U.S. foreign policy
through which the U.S. government provides resources to
strategically important countries, countries in conflict, and
other populations in need. Most U.S. foreign assistance is
administered by the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID); the U.S. Departments of State,
Agriculture, Health and Human Services, the Treasury, and
Defense; and the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
U.S. foreign assistance can take many forms. Most aid is
provided on a grant basis through projects implemented by
nonprofit organizations, businesses, U.S. government
agencies, foreign governments, and multilateral
organizations. Projects may support assets such as vaccines,
malaria nets, food, weapons and other military hardware,
textbooks, and roads and other infrastructure. It may also
include interventions like expert technical advice, training,
engineering advice, and research products, among others, in
a wide range of sectors (see Figure 1). Aid may also be
provided as direct budget support (cash) to foreign
governments or multilateral organizations.
Congress authorizes and appropriates foreign assistance
through legislation, including the Foreign Assistance Act of
1961, as amended, and annual Department of State, Foreign
Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS) appropriations
laws. It also conducts oversight of foreign aid programs via
reporting and notification requirements, oversight hearings,
and examination of Office of Inspector General and
Government Accountability Office audits and
investigations, among other means.
