Foreign Aid

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Friday announced a $20 million partnership between the United States and African nations to boost clean energy projects. Read more...

The Senate voted to continue food aid to North Korea, shooting down an amendment ending that aid and also approving a different one in support of it.

Actor Ben Affleck joined Twitter on Wednesday to promote his appearance at a forum with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“Honored to be following #SecClinton & @rajshah tomorrow,” he tweeted.

Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates is joining the advisory council of the nation's biggest booster for foreign-aid spending, The Hill has learned.

Gates hasn't lent his name to many causes since leaving the Obama administration last year, so signing him on is seen as a big win for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, a broad network of more than 400 businesses and nonprofit groups that advocates for development and diplomatic engagement. Gates is known for championing a “3 D's” approach to U.S. foreign policy — defense, development and diplomacy.

“Secretary Gates is one of the most effective voices and champions of the International Affairs Budget and over the years never missed an opportunity to promote strong development and diplomacy efforts,” the coalition's executive director, Liz Schrayer, said in a statement that will be released publicly Wednesday morning. “It is very powerful when a sitting Secretary of Defense, speaking at the USGLC’s 2010 conference, says ‘Development is a lot cheaper than sending soldiers.’ ”

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid rejected an amendment from the Republican senator that would withhold U.S. aid to Pakistan.

Lugar, the leading Republican champion of foreign aid, expressed concern that U.S. funding is increasingly moving away from "traditional purposes."

Pakistan is delaying visas for U.S. experts and equipment, preventing them from stopping cross-border smuggling of fertilizer chemicals used to make improvised explosive devices in neighboring Afghanistan, according to a new Government Accountability Office report. 

The report is further fueling bipartisan anger at Pakistan in Congress, where lawmakers have already voted to cut funding for the country by more than two thirds below the White House request. It was commissioned by Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), who said he was prompted to action by the high number of Americans killed by roadside bombs in Afghanistan.

The New York event was Rubio's second high-profile foreign-policy address in two months.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) will introduce legislation next week that would strip Pakistan of all foreign aid until that country overturns the conviction of a man who provided key intelligence leading to the death of Osama bin Laden.

Paul said Tuesday that he would bring forward bills on the matter when the Senate returns. Last week a Pakistani court sentenced Dr. Shakil Afridi to 33 years in prison for ties to Islamic militants.

Tensions between the two countries came to a boil after Pakistan's head of intelligence abruptly canceled talks in Washington.