Member companies of the Professional Services Council's Council of International Development Companies (CIDC) sent letters to the House and Senate Appropriations and Foreign Affairs Committees, strongly supporting robust funding of U.S. international development.
In the September 20 letters, 24 members of PSC’s CIDC said they “strongly support robust U.S. international development—funded by the United States and executed by U.S. businesses and other development partners—to continue to serve as a core component of our national, economic and security strategies.”
“International development programs are essential for reducing poverty, improving education, and creating more stable countries in which citizens can have a positive stake in the advancement of their societies,” they said. “As former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said, ‘Development is a lot cheaper than sending soldiers.’ This is particularly true when foreign aid is implemented in a focused and sustainable way.”
Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have approved their respective versions of the Fiscal Year 2014 State-Foreign Operations Appropriations bills. PSC’s CIDC believes the Senate’s $50.6 billion allocation for State-Foreign Operations will better serve the long-term interests of U.S. national security.
“Without sufficient development funding, however, we cannot reliably confront the causes of emerging national security threats abroad before deploying troops becomes necessary,” they noted. “We also recognize that, in these austere fiscal times, it is more important than ever that foreign assistance be delivered in a cost-effective, accountable and transparent manner. We are committed to doing just that.”
The companies that signed the letter are:
Abt Associates
CARANA Corporation
Cardno Emerging Markets USA, Ltd.
Chemonics International, Inc.
Creative Associates International
Credence Management Solutions, LLC
Crown Agents USA, Inc.
DAI
Democracy International, Inc.
Development & Training Services, Inc.
DevTech Systems, Inc.
DynCorp International
International Development Group, LLC
JBS International, Inc.
The Kaizen Company
Kavana International, LLC
Management Systems International, Inc.
PAE
Panagora Group, Inc.
SEGURA Consulting, LLC
Sonjara, Inc.
Tetra Tech, Inc.
University Research Co., LLC
Small Business Association of International Companies (SBAIC)
