More Unnecessary Foreign Programs

The March 14 issue of C&E News has an article entitled, "Strengthening Science Abroad".

The article says that US federal agencies are becoming increasingly engaged with foreign countries on subjects involving global health, science diplomacy, and climate change.

The National Institutes of Health has several programs relating to global health. The US taxpayers have been supporting this program for some years by training 4000 scientists from low income countries. In four years, 35 grants were awarded under this program. It did not say what it cost the American taxpayer

The State Department has a Science Envoy Program to bolster research collaboration and innovation with scientists in other countries, presumably all at US taxpayer expense. The State Department sent three big shot scientists to foreign countries in the first wave of "envoys". Why do we need the federal government on this? I would leave it up to the universities and private industry, which have a direct interest in such operation.

The US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration has a global development policy which includes global climate change, food security, and health. If the National Institutes of Health are already handling global health, why do we need involvement by Oceanic? What also is this program on "climate change"? Is this another effort on the part of the Administration and various departments to develop a worldwide interest in condemning carbon dioxide as a prelude to using it for additional tax revenue?

All of the above sounds good from a humanitarian point of view. The average American is generous in helping people who need help. However, the age-old problem of helping people and having them become dependent is always with us. We have been helping foreigners for years. They need to help themselves, which automatically excludes our federal government from most involvements. We have a real budget problem in government operations. Let's start significantly reducing some of these giveaway programs.