Rick Santorum on International Aid

 CNN National Security Debate

On November 22, 2011 Senator Santorum participated in the CNN national security debate. He states that he does not agree with other candidates in zeroing out international aid. He states that the aid should be used to pursue the US agenda overseas.

QUESTION: My name is Paul Wolfowitz. I'm a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and my question is about development assistance.

Under George W. Bush, who was a conservative Republican, the United States spent billions of dollars to fight AIDS and malaria in Africa and elsewhere and set up the Millennium Challenge Corporation to encourage governments of poor countries to pursue policies that promote economic growth and job creation.

Do you believe those are still wise expenditures? Or do you think we can no longer afford them?

BLITZER: Senator Santorum?

SANTORUM: Well, as the author of the Global Fund Bill and the Millennium Challenge in the United States Senate and someone who worked with the president on PEPFAR to deal with the issue of AIDS in Africa, I believe it's absolutely essential.

Africa was a country on the brink. On the brink of complete meltdown and chaos, which would have been fertile ground for the radical Islamists to be able to -- to get -- to get a foothold.

We're seeing it already. But the work that we've done in stabilizing that area, while humanitarian in nature, was absolutely essential for our national security.

And I hear people up here talking abut zeroing out foreign aid and humanitarian aid in particular. I think that's absolutely the wrong course.

You want to -- you want to spend more money on the military, zero out all the things we do to develop relationships around the world and we will spend a lot more money on the military.

It's important for us to use all the assets we have. Promote our values. America is that shining city on the hill. It is -- it is the city that comes to the aid of those in trouble in America -- in the world.

We have done more good for America in Africa and in the third world by the things that we've done. And we have saved money and saved military deployments by wisely spending that money not on our enemies but on folks who can and will be our friends.

Sponsored and Cosponsored Legislation

Session-109; Bill Number-S 1320; Multilateral Debt Relief Act of 2005 - Cosponsor

Authorizes: (1) the Secretary of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. executive director of each international financial institution (the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Inter-American Development Bank, the African Development Bank, and the African Development Fund) to reach an agreement among the shareholders to permanently cancel 100 percent of the debts owed to each such institution by an eligible country (as defined by this Act); and (2) appropriations for the U.S. contribution to such agreement if other members of the international financial institutions contribute funds for such purpose. Expresses the sense of Congress that the Secretary should pursue additional bilateral and multilateral debt relief for each country eligible for International Development Association grants. Amends the International Development Association Act to authorize, and authorize appropriations for, the U.S. Governor of the Association to contribute necessary sums to the fourteenth replenishment of the Association. Amends the African Development Fund Act to authorize, and authorize appropriations for, The U.S. Governor of the Fund to contribute necessary sums to the tenth replenishment of the Fund. Authorizes appropriations to fulfill U.S. commitments to the Enhanced HIPC Initiative (as defined by this Act).

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