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 on-going 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

Children’s HeartLink

Climate Refugees

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

HIAS

HIV Medicine Association

Human Rights First

Humanity & Inclusion

iACT

Ibis Reproductive Health

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

Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light

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

NC Interfaith Power & Light

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

PAI

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

Rainbow Railroad

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 Episcopal Church

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

Youth N'Power

Zonta Club of Columbus

Zonta Club of Fort Collins

Zonta District 1

Zonta International District 12

Zonta USA District 4