Americans Back Doubling Foreign Aid Budget Despite USAID's Dissolution
Event summary
- 70% of Americans support setting foreign aid at 2% of the federal budget, double pre-2025 levels.
- 54% view U.S. foreign aid favorably one year after USAID's closure, rising to 70% when informed of actual costs and impacts.
- 81% prefer strengthening aid programs with safeguards over eliminating them entirely.
- Survey conducted by Echelon Insights for The Rockefeller Foundation in June 2026.
The big picture
The survey results highlight a disconnect between public opinion and recent policy decisions to dismantle USAID, suggesting an opportunity for reform. The findings underscore broad support for targeted aid programs across political lines, positioning foreign aid as both a humanitarian priority and a strategic tool in global competition with Russia and China.
What we're watching
- Policy Reversal Potential
- Whether Congress will act on public sentiment to restore or increase foreign aid funding.
- Partisan Alignment
- How sustained bipartisan support for specific aid programs influences future policy decisions.
- Global Health Impact
- The pace at which restored aid could mitigate ongoing crises like the Ebola outbreak in Congo.