130+ Orgs Urge Congress to Save US Foreign Assistance

Dear Senators and Representatives,

On behalf of the millions of Americans represented by our faith, humanitarian, health, education, foreign policy, development, human rights, business, labor, peace, women's advocacy, science, and environmental organizations, we strongly urge you to oppose efforts to shut down U.S. foreign assistance, including the critical work of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). These actions have included arbitrarily freezing congressionally authorized program funding, unnecessarily halting ongoing programs, firing employees or locking them out of government systems, and spreading harmful disinformation about its work. Taken together, these actions not only undermine life-saving development and humanitarian assistance, they also directly harm U.S. national security and its standing in the world.

Funding for U.S. development and diplomacy programs has long enjoyed wide bipartisan support, and we urge you to continue that tradition of American leadership.

The relatively small investments from USAID — less than 1% of the federal budget — pay significant dividends for Americans. Not only does this support prevent the conflicts and health emergencies of today from becoming the regional crises and pandemics of tomorrow, but they also protect people’s lives and livelihoods so they are not forcibly displaced from their communities. The value of the return on these investments cannot be overstated.

USAID investments save lives. For example, USAID is a key implementer of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which alone has saved more than 25 million lives since its creation in 2003. Early childhood vaccination programs for diseases like polio and measles not only save children’s lives in other countries, but they also stop these deadly diseases from spreading globally. The Famine Early Warning System (FEWS NET) and SERVIR are other examples of USAID-funded, low-cost scientific data and tracking systems that help save lives, avert hunger, and enhance economic and environmental resilience. Other USAID efforts benefit the United States in myriad ways, including protecting Americans from global challenges that cross national boundaries and fostering new market opportunities for American businesses. For example, USAID purchased $2 billion in food from U.S. farmers last year alone.

We urge you to assert Congress’s constitutional authority and duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel, and the nation’s foreign policy and to protect the vital work of USAID and other foreign assistance agencies, including programs that Congress has authorized and that government agencies must have capacity to deliver. Congress should also exercise its legal authority to carefully lead and review any proposed reorganization of foreign assistance agencies. The actions taken in the last two weeks have had immediate, real-life impacts from frozen programs, resulted in significant job losses, and spread confusion and fear. Rather than reviewing assistance to improve efficiency and accountability, the result has been increased suffering and a greater risk of destabilizing outcomes globally that will ultimately cost the nation even more.

Congress must maintain its responsibility, as the American people’s elected representatives, to ensure it has the power to decide how taxpayer money is spent.

Sincerely,

ActionAid USA
Advocates for Youth
Afghan Legal Empowerment Portal
Alliance for Affordable Energy
Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments
American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research
American Hindu World Service (AHWS)
American Leadership Initiative
American Public Health Association
Amnesty International USA
Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
Association of Population Centers
AVAC
Bank Climate Advocates
Basic Education Coalition
Bread for the World
Catholics for Choice
Cause Communications
Center for American Progress
Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)
Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)
Center for International Policy Advocacy
Chicago Climate Youth Coalition
Childhood Education International
CommonDefense.us
CORE Group
Council for a Livable World
Council for Global Equality
DevWorks International
Disabled Children's Fund
District 9 Zonta International
Doctors of the World USA
EdIntersect, LLC
Education Development Center (EDC)
Endangered Species Coalition
Environmental Investigation Agency
Equal Access International
Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Faiths for Safe Water
Fast-Track Cities Institute
Foreign Policy for America
Freedom Writers Collaborative
Friends Committee on National Legislation
Friends of the Global Fight
Futures Without Violence
George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication
Global Campaign for Education-US
Global Citizen
GrainPro Incorporated
GreenFaith
Guttmacher Institute
Health Care Without Harm
HIV Medicine Association
Human Rights First
Humanity & Inclusion
iACT
Inclusive Development Partners
Indivisible Marin
Indivisible: Narberth and Beyond
Infectious Diseases Society of America
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
InterAction
International Association of Providers of AIDS Care
International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)
International Fund for Animal Welfare
Ipas
Iris Group, Inc.
J Street
Just Futures Collaborative
League of Conservation Voters
Marcello Clinic
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
Medical Teams International
Mennonite Central Committee U.S.
Mercy-USA for Aid and Development
Mighty Earth
MPower Change Action Fund
MSI United States
National Alliance for HIV Education and Workforce Development
National Association of Hispanic Nurses
National Organization for Women
National Wildlife Federation
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
New Jewish Narrative
Nonviolent Initiative for Democracy Inc. (NID)
Nonviolent Peaceforce
NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council)
Oil Change International
Oxfam America
Partners In Health
Partnership for Policy Integrity
People Power United
Physicians for Human Rights
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Plant With Purpose
Population Association of America
Population Connection Action Fund
Population Institute
Public Citizen
RESULTS
RFK Human Rights
Right To Play USA
Saferworld
School-to-School International
Secure Families Initiative
Sierra Club
SIL LEAD
Sojourners
Solar Cookers International
Stop TB USA
The Borgen Project
The Chamberlain Network
The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition
The Task Force for Global Health
The Well Project
The Women's Collective
The Workers Circle
Trickle Up
Truman National Security Project
Unbounded Associates
Union of Concerned Scientists
Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO
Water for South Sudan, Inc.
Wild Heritage
Win Without War
Women for Women International
Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO)
Women's Refugee Commission
Zonta Club of Columbus
Zonta District 1
Zonta International District 12