Senators Introduce Bill to Improve Foreign Aid

International charities are calling for the prompt passage of a bill to revamp foreign aid that was introduced in the Senate last week.

The bill, the Foreign Assistance Revitalization and Accountability Act of 2009, was introduced by a bipartisan group of senators including John Kerry, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Richard Lugar, the ranking member.

It is aimed at improving how the U.S. Agency for International Development provides assistance abroad. The legislation is similar to a bill in the House introduced by Rep. Howard Berman, chair of the House Foreign Relations Committee.

“Revitalizing U.S. aid is crucial to the overall reform of U.S. foreign assistance,” said David Beckmann, president of the nonprofit Bread for the World, in a statement. “If the Obama administration and Congress improve the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance, our dollars will do more good for decades.”

Mr. Beckmann also called for the White House to fill the top job at the U.S. development agency, a post that remains vacant.