Statement on the House Appropriations Committee’s State, Foreign Operations Allocation

InterAction issued the following statement regarding the House Appropriations Committee’s State, Foreign Operations Allocation.

The State, Foreign Operations allocation reported out of the House Appropriations Committee is shocking even by today’s standards.

In real dollars, the $41.3 billion recommended for the State, Foreign Operations bill would take programs back to approximately the same level of funding as 2002. In the past 20 years, the global population has increased by 1.6 billion, with the population of least developed countries increasing by 405 million.

The math does not add up. More people should not equal less money.

And numbers do not lie.

345 million people are facing severe hunger—that is more than double the 2020 number. 900,000 people are suffering catastrophic hunger or are one step away from famine. There are 100 million forcibly displaced people—that is more than the populations of California, Texas, and New York combined.

The proposed inadequate funding levels will forcefully cut short life-saving programs and weaken the United States’ position as a global leader. The lack of investment compels nations, including American allies, to seek alternative solutions, accumulate more debt, or worse, go without life-saving support. As a result, the most vulnerable people will face heightened risks, leading to a more unstable world and diminishing the influence of America.

We urge the House to reconsider. We hope that the Senate recommends sufficient funding to meet current needs. And we urge the White House to fight for U.S. foreign assistance.

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For media inquiries, please contact Morgan Martinez at mmartinez@interaction.org.