Support Strong Funding for U.S. Foreign Assistance in FY2026 Budget

I am writing to urge you to support strong funding for U.S. foreign assistance in the FY2026 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations. These programs represent less than 1% of the federal budget yet deliver outsized returns for American security and global stability. According to modeling by global health and humanitarian organizations, large reductions in U.S. foreign assistance could contribute to as many as 1.6 million preventable deaths worldwide by 2026. The cuts made in 2025 have already disproportionately affected programs focused on disease prevention, maternal and child health, and emergency humanitarian response. These are not abstract statistics but real lives that could be saved through continued American leadership. U.S. foreign assistance serves our diplomatic and security interests by stabilizing fragile regions before crises escalate into conflicts that require far more costly military interventions. These programs address global health threats, food security, and humanitarian emergencies that, if left unchecked, create conditions for instability that ultimately reach our shores. Investing in prevention through foreign assistance is both morally sound and strategically smart. Congress is currently considering appropriations that would restore approximately $50 billion in international assistance for FY2026. This funding supports programs that have proven track records of saving lives and preventing the kind of global crises that threaten American interests. For less than 1% of federal spending, we maintain American leadership on the world stage and prevent emergencies that would cost far more to address later. I urge you to support robust funding for U.S. foreign assistance in the FY2026 budget. These programs represent American values and protect American interests at a remarkably efficient cost. I hope I can count on your support for this critical investment in global health, humanitarian response, and conflict prevention.