Statement in Response to a Dear Colleague Letter on State and Foreign Operations

WASHINGTON, D.C. – InterAction, the largest U.S.-based alliance of international NGOs and partners, released the following statement in response to a Dear Colleague letter on State and Foreign Operations issued by the House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy last night.

“While we respect that this COVID relief is intended to help Americans domestically, the Republican leader is short-sighted when going after foreign assistance.

“Foreign assistance in this bill, supported by both parties, ensures people on the frontline overseas have the resources they need to slow the spread and care for those who have contracted the pathogen and help local governments prepare for the rise of sick citizens and the economic shock to their communities. Americans are safer when we return to an open world where people can freely cross borders and oceans.

“America needs to step back and understand that while a COVID vaccine is just starting to be distributed, and in 2021 we may resume our regular lives, we won’t be safe until the global pandemic is over. No flight restrictions, border wall, or screening measures will prevent the virus from boomeranging back to the U.S.

“The world’s most vulnerable can not take on this virus alone—developing countries do not have the health, governance, or economic structures to keep this virus at bay. American leadership has proven pivotal at many times throughout modern history, and American leadership is needed now to combat the wide-ranging effects of this pandemic.”