A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States Agency for International Development is essential for advancing the national security interests of the United States.

This is a non-binding Senate resolution (S. Res. 51) expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is essential to advancing U.S. national security. It outlines four core purposes for USAID: (1) mitigating threats abroad before they reach the United States, (2) promoting global stability, (3) addressing the root causes of migration and extremism, and (4) maintaining U.S. leadership in a context of strategic competition with China. The resolution also notes USAID’s historical origins (created in 1961, became an independent agency in 1998) and references a 2024 law that requires congressional consultation and notification for any reorganizations, consolidations, or downsizing of USAID. As a sense-of-the-Senate measure, it expresses support and policy emphasis, but does not itself authorize new funding or create binding obligations. In short, the bill signals broad bipartisan backing for USAID as a key tool of U.S. national security and foreign policy, and it reinforces the idea that development and diplomacy are central to countering threats, stabilizing regions, and competing strategically with China.