Members of Congress are speaking out against President Trump’s plan to slash foreign assistance.
Members of Congress are beginning react to yesterday’s announcement that President Trump wants to increase the military budget while slashing the State Department’s budget. Today, we are learning that the Trump plan intends to decrease State Department funding by a whopping 37%.
The good news is that there is bipartisan outcry in Congress against the administration’s slash and burn approach to cutting the federal budget. Here’s a sample of what Senators have been saying today.
Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)
I agree @ChrisMurphyCT & @marcorubio. Foreign aid must remain an American national security priority. We need these tools in our toolkit! https://t.co/SiUD2EzV0y
— Senator Chris Coons (@ChrisCoons) February 28, 2017
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)
Foreign Aid is not charity. We must make sure it is well spent, but it is less than 1% of budget & critical to our national security.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 28, 2017
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Undercutting diplomacy & foreign aid makes our military’s job harder. Trump’s “security budget” completely misses the point. https://t.co/QjilfPSDx0
— Chris Murphy 🟧 (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 28, 2017
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) - “It’s dead on arrival, it’s not going to happen, it would be a disaster,” Graham said Tuesday. “This budget destroys soft power, it puts our diplomats at risk and it’s going nowhere.” -
Sen. Leahy (D-VT)
Slashing foreign assistance would be foolhardy, weakening our leadership and emboldening our adversaries.
— Sen. Patrick Leahy (@SenatorLeahy) February 28, 2017
Yesterday, FCNL sent out a press release stating, “At a time when the United States is facing multiple foreign policy crises, cutting the State Department budget means that there is one less tool in our foreign policy toolbox. Diplomatic and development efforts that are fulfilled by the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development are critical in efforts to prevent and reduce violence, uphold human rights and support democratic governance. These are all critical functions that will ultimately reduce spending, protect U.S. national security and save lives.”
Send a message to your representative and senators urging them to fund the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
