International Affairs Budget
During such turbulent times, it can be easy to fall victim to misinformation regarding political, social, and global issues. At times, ignorance is bliss and not engaging helps everyone feel like these problems are outside of our influence to change. I believe that we come to better understand the everyday actions that can shape our community and make a direct, positive impact on the lives of people across the globe.
One of the leading issues being discussed in Congress right now is the International Affairs Budget. The International Affairs Budget provides essential relief to vulnerable communities around the world, and in turn, protects the health and safety of Americans. It may seem contradictory to say that spending money for other countries will help Americans, but it’s true! The International Affairs Budget supports critical development and diplomacy programs; programs that also create U.S. jobs by opening new markets to American businesses. These policies also protect our national security by fighting terrorism and preventing conflicts.
Although this budget provides essential support to communities in need across the world, as well as stimulating the American economy, it still only encompasses less than 1% of the overall national budget. I want to take this opportunity to encourage my community to advocate for the International Affairs Budget, and reach out to our senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell for their support in promoting this important bill for fiscal year 2025. Everyone can take 45 seconds today to contact our representatives through The Borgen Project website, and make a real difference in the lives of people all around the world.
Hailey Alt, Sammamish
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Why Americans should support foreign aid
As taxpayers in America, we have a stake in the nation’s foreign aid programs. While it might seem counterintuitive to send money to other countries when the US has its problems, strong foreign aid is a smart investment that pays dividends for our nation, from economic growth to national security and global health.
Federal aid is a strategic investment that pushes for economic expansion and creates markets and consumers for American companies. Developing these countries that deal with extreme poverty into functional and stable economies offers the U.S. the chance to bring in more money from exports than they spent on federal aid in the long run. The U.S. Agency for International Development used the example; “the United States transitioned from a $2.5 million trade deficit with Liberia to a $91 million surplus,” which is a clear example of new export opportunities created by aid. Out of the top 15 export markets for the U.S. 11 of them are former recipients of USAID. We are all very interconnected and as the United States helps develop countries’ economies around the world we are also growing and strengthening our own.
American national security would be enhanced with robust foreign aid in many ways. The U.S. military is one of the largest advocates for foreign assistance and non-military investments. One of our former Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, stated to Congress “If you don’t fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition.” Foreign aid keeps us safe by offering countries struggling with poverty, a chance to foster a stable economy, strengthen governance, and build their security, capable of combating threats like trafficking, terrorism, and transnational crime. By addressing these root causes of instability by offering development assistance, we can prevent conflicts from happening, avoiding costly military interventions in the future and saving American lives.
America has led the charge for global health initiatives that deliver lifesaving aid for the last couple of decades. The U.S. has spent over $100 billion in support of the AIDS/HIV response, saving close to 25 million lives since 2003. Our contributions have also reduced deaths caused by malaria by 60% since 2000. In a world that is recovering from a pandemic, we need to continue spending on foreign aid and other global health initiatives to prevent and contain diseases before they reach our borders. Helping these poverty-stricken countries get healthier, family sizes get smaller due to more confidence in child survival. When families are smaller it becomes more affordable to feed, educate, and develop their country into a flourishing, sustainable economy.
America’s investment in foreign aid pays off in the long run through an increase in national security, economic growth opportunities, and improved global health. By creating stable economies and governance in undeveloped countries, we prevent costly conflicts. Foreign aid creates new markets and consumers for U.S. businesses and exports while saving lives through health aid. As American taxpayers, we should all be supporting the funding of foreign aid programs that benefit both the world and U.S. interests.
Carson Davidson, Issaquah
