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The federal government increased spending on foreign aid by 80 percent from 2008 to 2011. And, according to the U.S. Treasury, it spent 76 percent more on foreign aid than it did securing the borders of the United States.
In the four years before President Bush left office, government spending on international assistance programs had been steadily trending downwards. In fiscal 2005, it was $14.787 billion. In fiscal 2006, it dropped to $13.914 billion. In fiscal 2007, it dropped again to $12.764 billion. And, in fiscal 2008, it dropped yet again to $11.427 billion.
In fiscal 2008, the government spent a total of $11.43 billion in international assistance programs, according to the Monthly Treasury Statement. In fiscal 2011, according to the statement, it spent $20.60 billion—an increase of $9.17 billion, or 80 percent, from 2008.
Each year since President Obama took office, international assistance spending has increased. In fiscal 2009, it rose to $14.827 billion. In fiscal 2010, it jumped to $20.038 billion. And, in fiscal 2011, it rose again to $20.599 billion.
By the end of August, after the first eleven months of fiscal 2012, the federal government had already spent $20.058 on foreign aid in that fiscal year. That was well ahead of the $18.439 billion the federal government had spent on foreign aid through August of last year.
As foreign aid spending has risen over the last four years, spending on border security has declined. In fiscal 2008, the federal government spent $9.984 billion on customs and border protection. In fiscal 2009, that increased to $12.122 billion. But, in fiscal 2010, that dropped to $11.376 billion. In fiscal 2011, it increased slightly to $11.698 billion—still less than the $12.122 billion spent on customs and border protection in fiscal 2009.
Through August of fiscal 2012, spending on customs and border protection was $11.259 billion, ahead of the $10.656 billion on customs and border protection spent through August of fiscal 2011.The $20.599 billion spent on foreign aid last year was 76 percent more than the $11.698 billion spent on customs and border protection.
Included, among other things, in the $20.599 billion spent on foreign aid last year, according to the Treasury, was $5.717 billion for the Economic Support Fund, $5.322 billion for the Foreign Military Financing Program, $3.177 in multilateral assistance, $4.248 billion for the Agency for International Development (including $1.210 billion in operating expenses for AID), $395 million for the Peace Corps and $125 million for international monetary programs.
The foreign military sales program, which Treasury includes in its accounting of international assistance programs, took in $23.947 billion in fiscal 2011 and paid out $23.947 billion. Thus it had no impact on the net outflow of aid from the United States to foreign interests.
