Dear Senators and Representatives, 

On behalf of the millions of Americans represented by our faith, humanitarian, health, education, foreign policy, development, human rights, business, labor, peace, women’s advocacy, science, and environmental organizations, we strongly urge you to oppose efforts to shut down U.S. foreign assistance, including the critical work of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). These actions have included arbitrarily freezing congressionally authorized program funding, unnecessarily halting ongoing programs, firing employees or locking them out of government systems, and spreading harmful disinformation about its work. Taken together, these actions not only undermine life-saving development and humanitarian assistance, they also directly harm U.S. national security and its standing in the world. 

Funding for U.S. development and diplomacy programs has long enjoyed wide bipartisan support, and we urge you to continue that tradition of American leadership. 

The relatively small investments from USAID — less than 1% of the federal budget — pay significant dividends for Americans. Not only does this support prevent the conflicts and health emergencies of today from becoming the regional crises and pandemics of tomorrow, but they also protect people’s lives and livelihoods so they are not forcibly displaced from their communities. The value of the return on these investments cannot be overstated. 

USAID investments save lives. For example, USAID is a key implementer of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which alone has saved more than 25 million lives since its creation in 2003. Early childhood vaccination programs for diseases like polio and measles not only save children’s lives in other countries, but they also stop these deadly diseases from spreading globally. The Famine Early Warning System (FEWS NET) and SERVIR are other examples of USAID-funded, low-cost scientific data and tracking systems that help save lives, avert hunger, and enhance economic and environmental resilience. Other USAID efforts benefit the United States in myriad ways, including protecting Americans from global challenges that cross national boundaries and fostering new market opportunities for American businesses. For example, USAID purchased $2 billion in food from U.S. farmers last year alone. 

We urge you to assert Congress’s constitutional authority and duty to conduct oversight of funding, personnel, and the nation’s foreign policy and to protect the vital work of USAID and other foreign assistance agencies, including programs that Congress has authorized and that government agencies must have capacity to deliver. Congress should also exercise its legal authority to carefully lead and review any proposed reorganization of foreign assistance agencies. The actions taken in the last two weeks have had immediate, real-life impacts from frozen programs, resulted in significant job losses, and spread confusion and fear. Rather than reviewing assistance to improve efficiency and accountability, the result has been increased suffering and a greater risk of destabilizing outcomes globally that will ultimately cost the nation even more. Congress must maintain its responsibility, as the American people’s elected representatives, to ensure it has the power to decide how taxpayer money is spent. 

Sincerely, 

• ActionAid USA 
• Advocates for Youth 
• Afghan Legal Empowerment Portal Alliance for Affordable Energy 
• Alliance of Nurses for Healthy 
• Environments 
• American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research 
• American Hindu World Service (AHWS) American Leadership Initiative 
• American Public Health Association Amnesty International USA 
• Association of Nurses in AIDS Care Association of Population Centers AVAC 
• Bank Climate Advocates 
• Basic Education Coalition 
• Bread for the World 
• Catholics for Choice 
• Cause Communications 
• Center for American Progress 
• Center for Arms Control and Non Proliferation 
• Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) 
• Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) 
• Center for International Policy Advocacy Chicago Climate Youth Coalition 
• Childhood Education International CommonDefense.us 
• CORE Group 
• Council for a Livable World 
• Council for Global Equality 
• DevWorks International 
• Disabled Children’s Fund 
• District 9 Zonta International 
• Doctors of the World USA 
• EdIntersect, LLC 
• Education Development Center (EDC) Endangered Species Coalition 
• Environmental Investigation Agency Equal Access International 
• Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice 
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Faiths for Safe Water 
• Fast-Track Cities Institute 
• Foreign Policy for America 
• Freedom Writers Collaborative 
• Friends Committee on National Legislation 
• Friends of the Global Fight 
• Futures Without Violence 
• George Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication 
• Global Campaign for Education-US
• Global Citizen 
• GrainPro Incorporated 
• GreenFaith 
• Guttmacher Institute 
• Health Care Without Harm 
• HIV Medicine Association 
• Human Rights First 
• Humanity & Inclusion 
• iACT 
• Inclusive Development Partners Indivisible Marin 
• Indivisible: Narberth and Beyond Infectious Diseases Society of America Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy InterAction 
• International Association of Providers of AIDS Care 
• International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) 
• International Fund for Animal Welfare Ipas 
• Iris Group, Inc. 
• J Street 
• Just Futures Collaborative 
• League of Conservation Voters Marcello Clinic 
• Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns Medical Teams International 
• Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Mercy-USA for Aid and Development Mighty Earth 
• MPower Change Action Fund 
• MSI United States 
• National Alliance for HIV Education and Workforce Development 
• National Association of Hispanic Nurses National Organization for Women National Wildlife Federation 
• NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice 
• New Jewish Narrative 
• Nonviolent Initiative for Democracy Inc. (NID) 
• Nonviolent Peaceforce 
• NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) 
• Oil Change International 
• Oxfam America 
• Partners In Health 
• Partnership for Policy Integrity 
• People Power United 
• Physicians for Human Rights 
• Planned Parenthood Federation of America 
• Plant With Purpose 
• Population Association of America Population Connection Action Fund Population Institute 
• Public Citizen 
• RESULTS 
• RFK Human Rights 
• Right To Play USA 
• Saferworld 
• School-to-School International 
• Secure Families Initiative 
• Sierra Club 
• SIL LEAD
• Sojourners 
• Solar Cookers International 
• Stop TB USA 
• The Borgen Project 
• The Chamberlain Network 
• The Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition 
• The Task Force for Global Health The Well Project 
• The Women’s Collective 
• The Workers Circle 
• Trickle Up 
• Truman National Security Project 
• Unbounded Associates 
• Union of Concerned Scientists 
• Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO Water for South Sudan, Inc. 
• Wild Heritage 
• Win Without War 
• Women for Women International 
• Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) 
• Women’s Refugee Commission Zonta Club of Columbus 
• Zonta District 1 
• Zonta International District 12