FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Tawana Jacobs, 202-552-6534 (Office), 202-297-1696 (Cell), tjacobs@interaction.org

Nasserie Carew, 202-552-6561 (Office), 202-341-3814 (Cell), ncarew@interaction.org

EMPOWERED USAID CRITICAL IN CLINTON’S EFFORT TO REBUILD AMERICA’S FACE ABROAD

STATEMENT FROM SAMUEL A. WORTHINGTON, INTERACTION PRESIDENT & CEO

Washington, DC (January 23, 2009)—“InterAction and its 175 member organizations applaud
Secretary Clinton’s statement that ‘Robust diplomacy and effective development are the best
long-term tools for securing America’s future’ and that the U.S. Agency for International
Development will be a critical ‘partner’ to the State department.

We are pleased that President Obama and Secretary Clinton recognize development as one of
three legs on America’s foreign policy stool. The international humanitarian and development
community remains concerned, however, that development appointments continue to be seen
as a second tier priority. When the secretary visited USAID today, she met with a staff pushed
to the background by budget cuts, staffing shortages, and President Bush’s initiative to create
PEPFAR and the Millennium Challenge Account.

If the Obama administration’s national security plans and efforts to improve America’s image in
the world are to be successful, international development must be given immediate and
significant attention.

As Secretary Clinton mentioned in her speech yesterday, improved collaboration between State
and USAID will be necessary to achieve future foreign policy successes. To make this improved
relationship possible, it’s imperative that the secretary nominate and empower an inspiring
leader to head USAID and become America’s face of development abroad.

In the face of competing budgetary priorities during a deep economic recession, the new leader
of USAID will be needed to help re-shape our nation’s thinking about the necessity for effective
foreign assistance. Rewriting our antiquated and broken Foreign Assistance Act written more
than 45 years ago and developing a national strategy for global development are just two of the
items we hope to see on the priority list. “

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Visit www.interaction.org/transition to read more about how InterAction and its member
organizations have advised the Obama administration and new Congress.

InterAction is the largest alliance US-based nongovernmental international humanitarian relief and
development organizations with 175 members. Our members operate in every developing country,
working with local communities to overcome poverty and suffering by helping to improve