Letter to the House: Don't Deauthorize U.S. Institute of Peace

Jun 2, 2011

PDF Version

TO: Members of the U.S. House of Representatives

Dear Representative,

We write to express our deep concern over the House’s vote in favor of Amendment No. 152 of the National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2012 that de-authorizes the United States Institute of Peace.

According to the 2011 Global Peace Index, violent conflict costs the world $8.12 trillion, and the war on terror is not reducing the risk of terrorist acts. USIP is the only congressionally mandated and funded national institution dedicated specifically to helping prevent and resolve deadly conflict. USIP advances US national interests by helping prevent and mitigate deadly conflict in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, and by educating the US public on peacebuilding and conflict resolution. Investing in USIP will help the U.S. save lives and treasure in the longrun by preventing wars rather than fighting them.

On the House floor, Representative Cravaack, who offered the amendment, argued that “The United States Institute of Peace is a program that our children and grandchildren should not be funding” at the risk of future debt. In fact, just the opposite is true. Research now demonstrates that every one dollar invested in preventing conflicts from turning deadly would cost 60 dollars in crisis response once violence erupts. There is an emerging consensus among policymakers, from Secretary Gates and Secretary Clinton to bipartisan members of Congress, that the U.S. must strengthen civilian tools for addressing global problems and preventing deadly conflict. USIP is one of the most valuable non-military tools the US has toward that end.

The cost of funding USIP each year- just $42 million - is miniscule compared to the cost of the U.S. responding to crises after they erupt. In testimony before the House State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee in March 2009, USIP’s President Dr. Richard Solomon pointed out that “The cost of the first week of enforcing the no-fly zone in Libya would more than fund the next ten years of USIP’s operations. The savings that arise from preventing one war would fund USIP for centuries.”

Furthermore, defunding USIP will have no impact on the federal budget deficit, as the funding that USIP receives from Congress each year is a tiny fraction of the international affairs budget, which represents just 1% of the entire budget. Funding from Congress rather than private sources allows USIP to be a truly non-partisan, unbiased voice on these vital issues. If Congress is serious about reducing wasteful government spending, it should first look to the Pentagon’s budget, which now consumes nearly 40% of annual discretionary spending and includes costly outdated weapons systems that are far less effective at advancing U.S. interests than USIP.

We urge you to help the US save lives and treasure by rejecting any future legislative efforts that would deauthorize or cut funding for the United States Institute of Peace.

Sincerely,

Bridget Moix

Legislative Secretary, Peaceful Prevention of Deadly Conflict