Bill Clinton, Bill Gates say U.S. aid abroad improves image

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Bill Clinton and Bill Gates have told a Senate panel that U.S. investments in fighting AIDS, malaria and other diseases in underdeveloped nations play a vital role in improving America’s image abroad.

Clinton said Wednesday that helping the world’s poorest tackle their health problems was “intrinsically good for America’s foreign policy.” The former president said the work shouldn’t be politicized.

Both Clinton and the Microsoft Corp. co-founder urged lawmakers on the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee to use a time of budget constraints to see how each dollar in foreign aid can be most effectively spent.

-- Associated Press