WASHINGTON (April 27, 2026) — More than 200 attendees joined U.S. Representative James Walkinshaw (D-VA) and federal employee leaders for a discussion hosted by the Alliance for American Leadership (A4AL) on USAID and America’s global work that impacts people at home and abroad.
Representative James Walkinshaw (D-VA), who won his election with grassroots support from the Alliance for American Leadership, spoke about what happened when the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was dismantled: experienced people lost their jobs, lifesaving programs were cut, and the role of the United States in the world was weakened. “When we build trust in communities around the world … we’re not just being charitable, we’re being strategic,” Walkinshaw explained.
He spoke about reviving USAID under a new administration in 2028 and also said, “It’s really important that … there be bipartisan pressure in Congress on the Administration to follow the law and spend the money that was already appropriated [for foreign aid].”
Mike Henning, a Local President at the American Federation of Government Employees and a board member of A4AL, said “our contribution of small money can fund an enormous amount of programs that help millions of people.” He said support for foreign aid and USAID has never belonged to just one political party. “We have people from all political stripes in the agency,” he noted, adding, “It is possible to recreate the consensus [in Washington]. It actually exists; it’s just a little bit hidden at the moment.”
Rohit Nepal of the American Foreign Service Association said Americans need to “build the constituency we need for a durable, nonreversible commitment to this work.”
The event can be viewed as a podcast episode on A4AL’s YouTube channel.
The Alliance for American Leadership works to build support for US foreign aid among the public and legislators from both political parties. A4AL believes that supporting foreign aid saves millions of lives and protects American interests at home and abroad.
For media inquiries, please reach out to outreach@a4al.org.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of the Alliance 4 American Leadership (A4AL) alone. Alliance 4 American Leadership would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.
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