Reps. Ander Crenshaw (R-Fla.) and Adam Smith (D-Wash.) on Thursday launched “a bipartisan group that aims to improve aid effectiveness to further U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives,” Devex’s blog “Obama’s Foreign Aid Reform” reports. In a letter inviting colleagues to the launch, Crenshaw and Smith said the Caucus for Effective Foreign Assistance will look into how “the United States currently delivers foreign assistance” in an effort to help improve the effectiveness of U.S. aid and educate members of Congress.

“Crenshaw is a member of the House Appropriations subcommittees on defense, homeland security and legislative branch,” and he “used to serve on the House Armed Services Committee. Smith, meanwhile, is a ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee and until recently sat on both the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence,” the blog notes (Mungcal, 5/12).