WASHINGTON, DC – US Rep Bill Delahunt announced today that the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight will hold a hearing entitled: “EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH AMERCA’S IMAGE ABROAD: ARE THEY WORKING?” today at 1:30pm in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

“There is widespread consensus that the sharp decline in world opinion toward the United States can have an impact on our national security.  The Government Accountability Office concluded that “anti-American sentiments can increase foreign support for terrorism directed at Americans and impact the cost-effectiveness of military operations and …enthusiasm for US business services and products.  We need to examine how efforts to address these issues are working,” Delahunt said today.

The Bush administration spends over $1.5 billion annually on various public diplomacy initiatives.  These efforts have been expanded in recent years. Given the significant amount of taxpayer funds directed to this effort, the Oversight Panel is interested in determining how effective this program has been in recent years.   

Among those testifying will be:

Mr. Jess T. Ford, Director
International Affairs Office of International Affairs and Trade, U.S. Government Accountability Office

Ms. Lisa Curtis, Senior Research Fellow
Asian Studies Center, The Heritage Foundation

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