Take Action Now: House to De-Fund Foreign Aid

Last Friday, the House Appropriations Committee introduced its budget extensions for fiscal year 2011. The appropriations bill cuts the U.S. foreign affairs budget by 21 percent, or $11.6 billion, from the previous year. In its funding cut, the House Approprations Committee has reduced the effect of a number of important U.S. foreign-operations initiatives: the bill reduces U.S. contributions to peacekeeping activities by 15 percent, migration and refugee assistance by 41 percent, and will eliminate the Complex Crises Fund, which enables the United States to mobilize quick responses to international humanitarian crises.

Congress is considering unprecedented cuts to humanitarian aid and conflict prevention initiatives. These budget reductions put lives at risk in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and a number of other humanitarian crises around the world. Call 1-800-GENOCIDE to urge your Representative to vote NO on the appropriations bill unless these programs are restored.

In response to the current appropriations bill, Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) issued a statement in support of continued diplomacy and development funding:

"Even in these difficult economic times, we cannot afford to enact broad and haphazard cuts to key pillars of our national security. We must not allow our response to an economic challenge to create a national security crisis," Lowey said.

Take Action Now: Call 1-800-GENOCIDE to urge your Representative to vote NO on the appropriations bill unless funding for foreign-operations programming is restored.