House Foreign Relations Committee, “Hearing – Feeding the Dragon: Reevaluating U.S. Development Assistance to China,” November 15, 2011

Manzullo’s opening statement began: 

“On September 15th, 2011, the United States Agency for International Development notified Congress of its intent to obligate $3.95 million in Development Assistance funds to ‘‘engage China as a partner in addressing climate change.’’ 

This particular notification, while small in the grand scheme of things, is emblematic of the dysfunction in America’s foreign aid spending priorities. What is being proposed here, essentially, is that we borrow money from China to give back to China to help it fix its own domestic problems, many of which were created in the breakneck rush to develop. 

At the same time, these programs help boost the competitiveness of Chinese manufacturers at the expense of U.S. manufacturers

and U.S. jobs. In my opinion, this is a fool’s errand, and the U.S. Government needs to clean up its own fiscal trail before helping China clean up its environmental mess. 

We have enough challenges at home without having to worry about U.S. taxpayer monies funding a Chinese Government regime notorious for disregarding international norms of trade, human rights, and the environment. 

China’s poor record speaks for itself. None of the organizations, universities, and entities that USAID funds in China are completely   independent of Chinese Government control. Each year the United States spends over $39 billion in taxpayer funds to support America’s foreign policy objectives abroad. 

In the Asia region alone, the President’s request for Fiscal Year 2012 amounts to more than $800 million. It is up to all of us to ensure that not a penny of taxpayer money is wasted on these programs….” 

Click here to download the 40 page House hearing transcript.