Foreign Assistance Accountability and Oversight Act

Summary

Creates a Senate‑confirmed Director of Foreign Assistance inside the Department of State with authority to align, plan, budget, and report on U.S. foreign assistance across State and USAID and to coordinate with other agencies. It also requires that funds appropriated to State, USAID, or under the Director's direction be made available for obligation no later than 90 days after enactment of the related appropriations Act and places limits on acting service and certain personnel actions.

• Creates a Senate‑confirmed Director of Foreign Assistance in the State Department reporting to the Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources.
• Director must focus on aligning foreign assistance with State Department foreign policy via integrated planning, budgeting, and monitoring.
• Director duty to increase transparency and data reporting and to coordinate with agencies such as MCC, DFC, Treasury, USTDA, EX‑IM Bank, and Peace Corps.
• Prohibits the Director from serving in another federal position and limits acting service to 90 days.
• Requires Deputy Secretary approval for adverse personnel actions affecting the Director or their staff.
• Mandates that funds appropriated to State, USAID, or under the Director's direction be available for obligation no later than 90 days after enactment of the related appropriations Act.
• Expresses Congress's view that strategic foreign assistance supports U.S. national security and ought to be managed by a qualified State official under congressional oversight.
• Reminds that USAID is statutorily an independent establishment outside State (recall of current statutory status).