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Proposed Cuts to International Affairs Budget Not in America’s Best Interests
Published 05/23/2017 by Global Communities
Administration and Congress Should Agree on Budget to Protect U.S. Leadership
WASHINGTON—PCI’s President & CEO, Carrie Hessler-Radelet, released the following statement on the Administration’s full Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 International Affairs Budget proposal:
“PCI is proud to partner with the U.S. Government in enhancing health, ending hunger, and overcoming hardship at home in the United States and throughout the world. The investments our country makes in these programs save lives, generate economic growth, and empower communities overseas, while at the same time safeguarding our own national security and economic prosperity.
“The Administration’s proposed 32% deep and disproportionate cuts to lifesaving health, food security, and humanitarian programs compromise the development gains of recent years and weaken our country’s legacy of global leadership. Ending extreme poverty around the world contributes directly to securing the future of our families and communities here at home and should continue to be a high priority for our nation.
“At a time when one in nine people in the world goes to bed hungry every night, zeroing out food assistance programs will place millions of vulnerable people, and children in particular, at risk. PCI works in partnership with the U.S. Government to provide school meals to more than 200,000 children every day around the world, improving the health and well-being of those children throughout adolescence and adulthood.
“We are heartened by the fact that the current budget was passed by Congress with bipartisan support and signed by the President last month, with strong funding for the International Affairs Budget. We hope Congress will continue to recognize the value and impact of these investments once again in FY 2018.”
About PCI: PCI’s mission is to empower people to enhance health, end hunger and overcome hardship. PCI envisions a world in which the most vulnerable people will have the power to lift themselves out of poverty and to create vital, healthy lives for their families and communities now and for the future. PCI works in 16 countries, including the United States. For more information, visit www.pciglobal.org.