75 percent of Americans across parties support mutually beneficial foreign investment
Washington, D.C. — Nov. 5, 2025 – As Congress works to finalize legislation reauthorizing the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) and the ONE Campaign sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging lawmakers to protect the DFC’s core development mandate as part of ongoing reauthorization efforts.
The letter, addressed to the leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, demonstrates strong support for the DFC as a critical tool for U.S. international development and mobilizing vital private sector financing in low- and middle-income countries. MFAN and ONE emphasize that the DFC’s success has long been in its ability to mobilize private capital in the world’s most challenging markets and to deliver meaningful development impact while advancing U.S. strategic interests.
“Americans want our leadership around the world to be effective, powerful, and long lasting,” said Elizabeth Hoffman, North America Executive Director at the ONE Campaign. “Reauthorizing the DFC reaffirms America’s commitment to mutually beneficial investment. The DFC is the tip of the spear in the Administration's commercial diplomacy agenda, helping to derisk investments and crowd in private capital, particularly in low and middle-income countries that experience difficulty mobilizing private sector resources.
“It is essential that the DFC remain focused on the places where its investments can change the most lives and have the greatest impact, and that’s in low- and lower-middle-income countries,” said Tod Preston, Executive Director of MFAN. “DFC’s core development mandate helps the people who need it most, while driving growth, stability, and long-term partnerships that benefit the United States.”
The joint letter calls on Congress to support proposed guardrails in the bipartisan Senate legislation that would ensure that any additional authority to invest in higher-income countries does not supplant the DFC’s original development focus.
Recently completed public polling commissioned by ONE found that 75 percent of Americans, both Republicans and Democrats, support investments abroad that both help people and benefit the US economy. Further, when informed that programs like the Development Finance Corporation have generated hundreds of millions of dollars for the US Government, 42% of people increase their support for DFC, including 50% of respondents who supported President Trump in 2024. These results reflect the broad bipartisan support among the American public for DFC’s development mission.
Since the DFC was created in 2018, its development mandate has long benefited from bipartisan support on Capitol Hill and beyond. “While the DFC should continue to undertake strategically important foreign policy projects as a portion of its portfolio, it is critically important to preserve and protect its development mandate,” stated Rob Mosbacher, Former President and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and MFAN member.
MFAN and ONE reaffirm their commitment to serve as resources and partners to Congress during this important reauthorization legislation process.
About MFAN
The Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network is a bipartisan coalition of international development and foreign policy experts committed to making U.S. development efforts more effective, accountable, and results-driven.
About the ONE Campaign
ONE is a global, nonpartisan organization advocating for the investments needed to create economic opportunities and healthier lives in Africa. Our trusted advocacy uses hard-hitting data, grassroots activism, political engagement, and strategic partnerships to influence decision-makers. Learn more at one.org
Press Contact
For media inquiries, please reach out to Madeleine.Granda@modernizeaid.net and Shanica.Johnson@one.org
