What We're Hearing: Don't Cut Successful Global Health Programs
Posted by
Jen Pollakusky
Washington, D.C.
April 7, 2011
While the U.S. Congress continues to debate cuts to the federal budget and a possible government shutdown on Friday, global health programs could still be on the chopping block.
Successful U.S. initiatives that fight global HIV/AIDS – including preventing new infections in babies – could lose critical funding. This would seriously hurt global efforts to reach more children and mothers with lifesaving HIV medicines, and ultimately to eliminate pediatric AIDS worldwide.
What often gets lost in the debate is that global health programs represent just a fraction of the 1% of the budget spent on foreign assistance each year. Saving millions of lives around the world is a lot of return on such a small investment.
Members of Congress from across the aisle – both conservative and liberal – have expressed great concern about threatened cuts to these programs.
Here is a sample of what they’ve been saying, in their own words:
- “Foreign aid is less than 1 percent of the federal budget, so when you’re borrowing 40 cents of every dollar that you spend, you’re not going to solve the problem cutting foreign aid.” - Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)
- “I would say to all of my colleagues, let's slow down, take a deep breath. The foreign operation budget is less than 1 percent of total federal spending.” – Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
- “These are irresponsible cuts. These cuts would threaten global security and stability. Despite broad agreement that a three-legged stool of defense, diplomacy, and development is vital to our national security, this bill dramatically weakens diplomacy and development.” – Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY)
- “As freshmen, you are likely to face a dizzying array of difficult decisions. But foreign assistance shouldn’t be one of them. A strong and effective international affairs budget is critical to our national and economic security.” – Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and Rep. Leonard Lance (R- NJ)
- “Our foreign aid and diplomatic budget has a return on investment that is at least a thousand fold. Cutting foreign aid will not right our struggling economy, but will ultimately cost us more in U.S. lives and taxpayer dollars.” – Rep. Steve Rothman (D-NJ)
- “The truth is that addressing hunger, disease and human misery abroad is a cost-effective way of making America safer at home." – Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-CA)
Please join us in adding your voices to the debate in support of global HIV/AIDS programs.
Click here to find out how.
Jen Pollakusky is a Senior Public Policy and Advocacy Officer for Africa, based in Washington, D.C.