Letter to Congressional Leadership Regarding the Prioritization of Funding for State, Foreign Operations Bill in FY2023

Dear Chairwoman DeLauro, Chairman Leahy, Vice Chairman Shelby, and Ranking Member Granger:

We, the undersigned international, implementing, and advocacy organizations, respectfully request that in F.Y. 2023 you prioritize funding for the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related programs bill and provide the subcommittee with a 302(b) allocation of at least $72.9 billion. Within this increase, we ask that Congress appropriates meaningful increases for programs addressing food security, humanitarian action, climate change, democracy, and global health. We understand that Congress faces difficult choices, but as global needs continue to increase, U.S. leadership is key to eliminating poverty, alleviating human suffering, and fostering just and peaceful societies.

Additional investment in foreign assistance is crucial. The long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and multiple humanitarian crises, including the continuing crisis in Ukraine, demonstrate the need for increased funding and support for programming to address food security and humanitarian relief. Higher prices for food and energy greatly impact low- and middle-income countries where millions are already facing food insecurity and limited access to adequate nutritious food. The United Nations projected 274 million people would need humanitarian assistance this year—39 million more people than just last year. Global displacement has doubled in just 10 years to over 35 million people, and of the 161 million people experiencing crisis conditions in 2021, 81% lived in countries affected by fragility, conflict, and violence.

The ongoing impacts of climate change will disproportionately affect women, children, and other vulnerable groups. According to the World Bank, climate change could “push 132 million people into poverty over the next 10 years, and cause 216 million people to migrate internally by 2050.” Extreme changes in temperature and rainfall negatively affect the small farms and crops that produce the world’s agriculture and food supply. Without significantly more adaptation programming, climate change may depress growth in global agriculture yields up to 30% by 2050, affecting more than 500 million small farms globally.

75% of people now live in countries where freedom is declining. The continued decline in democracy has led to human rights violations, political corruption, and a lack of institutional checks on power, seeding more violence, instability, and misery.

For approximately 1% of the overall federal budget, American foreign assistance saves lives, builds economies, supports peace, creates a more secure world, and advances American values. We ask for your support of a 302(b) allocation for the State, Foreign Operations Bill of $72.9 billion in F.Y. 2023.

Sincerely,

Undersigned Organizations