“The man with two tunics should share with him who has none,
and the one who has food should do the same.” – Luke 3:11

The 12.3 million people who were able to access safe drinking water for the first time. The 69.8 million children who benefited from early-grade reading instruction. The 5.2 million families who no longer suffer from hunger.

These children and families live in developing countries around the world. They might speak different languages, eat different foods, and have different faiths from each other. However, one thing unites them: Their lives were positively impacted by U.S. foreign assistance.

Unfortunately, the White House announced its proposed budget today – and it disregards the life-saving potential of foreign assistance, proposing cuts of 24 percent.

As it stands now, poverty-focused U.S. foreign assistance accounts for less than 1 percent of the federal budget. Yet even at this comparatively small amount, this funding allows the United States to work through trusted partners (including faith-based organizations like World Vision!) to fund and operate programs that improve the well-being of children and families who need it most.

Through U.S. foreign assistance programs, communities gain livelihood opportunities, helping families build self-reliance and thereby reducing the need for U.S. aid. These programs also provide life-saving assistance, create strategic alliances, and help combat extremism and instability. So foreign assistance efforts can result in lives saved, a stronger global economy, and improved national security!

It simply doesn’t make sense to cut this account that does some pretty BIG things! Congress knows that too, which is why there’s been bipartisan support for keeping these accounts intact over the past two years, despite requests for cuts from the Administration.

Let’s encourage Congress to do it again: Act below to remind Congress to keep foreign assistance programs funded. This small 1% of the U.S. budget saves lives and helps improve safety, health, and opportunities for children around the world. When we raise our voices in unison about God’s justice for those in extreme poverty, Congress listens!

ACT NOW:

Ask Congress to support foreign assistance funding.

 

Photo: Families leave World Vision food distribution with bags of maize and cans of cooking oil provided by USAID in Turkana, Kenya. ©2017 World Vision, Jon Warren.

3 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *