President Obama and Secretary Kerry, like Secretary Clinton before him, have talked about elevating development as part of our national security and foreign policy strategy, including with a real focus on America's economic competitiveness over time. The rapidly evolving landscape in the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific demands that we continue to invest in programs and relationships that advance our strategic interests and basic values. Even in this age of fiscal austerity-with the significant budgetary limitations we face-the benefits of such investments far outweigh the costs. USAID Forward is an example of a reform that has achieved results. It aligns resources with priorities, builds capacity through sustainable development, and identifies new innovations to help meet the President's goal of ending poverty in the next two decades. More needs to be done to institutionalize reforms in cooperation with the Congress to make certain they reflect our overall foreign policy, our international development priorities, and pay dividends around the world in every region.