Protect Poverty-Focused Development and Humanitarian Assistance Funding in All Budget Negotiations By Supporting the Senate Funding Levels

for the International Affairs Budget

The International Affairs Budget has already been cut by 15% over the last two years. Sequestration or other additional cuts are not the answer to resolving the deficit.
Under a sequestration cut of 8.2%: 276,500 fewer people would receive treatment for HIV/AIDS, potentially leading to 63,000 more AIDSrelated deaths; and the important research to develop a Defend the Senate vaccine for HIV/AIDS could be threatened, ultimately funding for slowing our progress towards finding a cure;1 international 112,500 fewer HIV-positive pregnant women would poverty-focused receive treatment, resulting in 21,000 more infants 2 potentially infected with HIV; development and 2.2 million fewer insecticide-treated nets would be humanitarian procured, leading to nearly 6,000 deaths due to assistance in all malaria;3 future budget 1.3 million fewer vaccines would be delivered to negotiations, children, resulting in 14,000 more deaths from diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, Hib, and hepatitis B;4 including those to 2.6 million fewer women and couples would receive avert or delay contraceptive services and supplies;5 sequestration 3.33 million people will have reduced or denied access to lifesaving food aid; 377,200 children will have reduced or denied access to school feeding programs; 656,000 fewer children annually will have access to a quality primary school education; 315,000 fewer farmers would receive the investments needed to improve their yields, income and nutrition;6 170,000 people in developing countries would lose the opportunity to access investments through Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) to improve their food security and sustainably raise their total incomes.7 As a major new refugee crisis emerges from Syria, the Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) account will be forced to shift resources away from assistance that is not directly life-saving. This would likely mean cuts in gender-based violence prevention and services; refugee education programs; refugee livelihoods programs (which reduce long-term dependence on aid); and programs to find permanent solutions for the long-term displaced. This would have severe longer-term impacts on these refugee populations, leaving them less self-sufficient and more aid dependent in the long run. The International Disaster Assistance (IDA) account is badly stretched, responding to the multiple major crises in the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. Cuts to this account would translate to reduced support to conflict victims in places like Darfur and South Sudan; mothers and children facing starvation in Somalia and the Sahel; reduced resources for preventing new emergencies; and would undermine the US ability to respond to the next major natural disaster.

Senate funding levels for the International Affairs budget enable humanitarian and poverty-focused programs to save millions of lives, fight systemic poverty, and provide a chance for people to thrive.
In comparison to current funding, the Senate levels for humanitarian and poverty-focused programs would mean: 3.35 million additional young children could receive a package of simple, low cost measures that are proven to prevent damage caused by malnutrition (micronutrient powders, therapeutic zinc, vitamin A supplements, and deworming medication, as well as adequate iron and folic-acid for pregnant women). 8 Feed the Future implementation will assure sustained U.S. support for agricultural growth and scale up the gains made over the past three years in priority countries. These investments stimulate rural economic growth, increase farm incomes and reduce food insecurity. 4.4 million additional people would be protected by insecticide-treated bed nets that help to prevent malaria infection. 9 850,000 additional people could receive safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene. 10 146,647 additional people could receive life-saving tuberculosis treatment, resulting in 17,597 fewer deaths. 11 4.68 million additional women and couples could receive contraceptive services and supplies.12

Humanitarian and poverty-focused assistance is an important part of our national security and spurs economic prosperity.
The diplomatic and developmental capabilities of the United States have a direct bearing on our ability to shape threats and reduce the need for military action. It is my firm belief that diplomatic programs as part of a coordinated strategy will save money by reducing the likelihood of active military conflict involving U.S. forces. Admiral Mike Mullen13 These programs expand our future trade capacity: Fifty percent of U.S. exports go to emerging markets,14 and one in five U.S. jobs are tied to trade. 15 By enabling the most vulnerable people around the world to escape poverty, we are ensuring future markets for U.S. goods and services and a brighter economic future for the American people.

As former Secretaries of State from both Democratic and Republican administrations, we urge you to support a strong and effective International Affairs Budget. We believe these programs are critical to Americas global leadership and represent strategic investments in our nations security and prosperity. Madeleine K. Albright, Henry A. Kissinger, Colin L. Powell, Condoleezza Rice and George P. Shultz

Republicans and Democrats alike have demonstrated belief in our moral obligation to help those less fortunate overseas. Its the right thing to do.

We have a common moral obligation to help those less fortunate become self-sustaining. This was reflected this year as the International Affairs budget was approved by an overwhelming 29-1 bi-partisan vote of the Senate Appropriations committee. By helping those in the most extreme poverty, we reinforce the values and compassion of the American people.

In order to heal human suffering, America must lead. That means the government must lead. It means that corporate America must lead. It means that NGOs must lead. President George W. Bush

Critical aid programs help vulnerable families and children around the world and ensure a bright future for the United States. Hunger:
In FY11, P.L. 480 Food Aid fed 66 million of the worlds most vulnerable people and children16, and the McGovern-Dole School Feeding Program fed more than 5 million schoolchildren. 17 Since 2008, Feed the Futures 20 target countries have increased their total agricultural production by an average of 5.8 percent, which is over eight times higher than the global average increase of 0.7 percent.18

Humanitarian and poverty focused assistance delivers results.

Poverty:
With the help of U.S. foreign assistance, the number of people living in extreme poverty has fallen by 400 million since 1990. 19 Health: In 2011, 3.9 million people received antiretroviral treatment, resulting in 200,000 infants being born HIV-free.20 In 2011, U.S. efforts helped 3.8 million people gain improved access to clean water and 1.9 million people improved access to sanitation facilities. 21 Trade: For every 10 percent increase in U.S. exports abroad, there is a 7 percent increase in the jobs here at home. 22 U.S. exports to developing countries have grown six times faster than exports to major economies, making developing countries the future of U.S. trade. In fact, 10 of Americas top 15 trading partners were once recipients of foreign aid.23

Cutting these programs will not address our deficits, but it will sacrifice the gains we have made to reduce global hunger and poverty. These cuts will endanger life-saving programs that give people the tools they need to escape poverty and weaken humanitarian efforts that could deter the need for more costly interventions.

amFAR Issue Brief The Effect of Budget Sequestration on Global Health: Projecting the Human Impact in Fiscal Year 2013 http://www.amfar.org/uploadedFiles/_amfarorg/In_The_Community/SequestrationJuly2012.pdf adjusted for the 8.2% cut. 2 Ibid. 3 Ibid. 4 Ibid. 5 For methodology see Guttmacher Institutes fact sheet. Just the Numbers: The Impact of U.S. International Family Planning Assistance, May 2012 http://www.guttmacher.org/media/resources/FB-Family-Planning-Assistance.pdf. 6 Number calculated by taking the average of the FY2012 investment by country (from www.foreignassistance.gov<http://www.foreignassistance.gov/>) divided by 1/5 of the total beneficiaries expected to have improved income over 5 years by country (fromwww.feedthefuture.gov<http://www.feedthefuture.gov/>). 7 Calculation based on an 8.2% cut to the Presidents FY12 enacted level for GAFSP (amounting to a cut of $11.070 million). The anticipated reach of this level of investment was estimated by dividing it by the ratio of total investment approved for the first 12 GAFSP recipient countries ($481 million) to the number of expected beneficiaries (7.5 million) (www.gafspfund.org<http://www.gafspfund.org/>). 8 Based on the costing of five interventions Vitamin A supplementation, therapeutic zinc for the management of diarrhea, micronutrient powders, deworming, and adequate iron and folic acid for pregnant women using data provided by the World Bank and accessed at: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTHEALTHNUTRITIONANDPOPULATION/EXTNUT RITION/0,,contentMDK:22562789~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSitePK:282575~isCURL:Y,00.html. 9 Based on $4.50 average per insecticide-treated bed net according to Gabriel Jaramillo, General Manager of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/mediacenter/newsreleases/2012-0705_General_Manager_Says_Global_Fund_Offers_Outstanding_Value_for_Money/. 10 Estimate based on field data collected from WASHCost-IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, WASH Advocates, Millennium Water Alliance, CARE, WaterAid America, Water.org, Wine to Water, Water For People, World Vision, Plan USA, Catholic Relief Services, USAID, The World Bank, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and other organizations, reflecting major variations in geography, hydrology, climate, and accessibility that affect program design and delivery in target populations. 11 DOTS: $49,000,000 * 55% / $184 = 146,467 fewer people on treatment (notes: 55% of USAID TB funding goes to DOTS; $184 is unit cost of treatment according to USAID communications with RESULTS). 12 For methodology see Guttmacher Institutes fact sheet. Just the Numbers: The Impact of U.S. International Family Planning Assistance, May 2012 http://www.guttmacher.org/media/resources/FB-Family-Planning-Assistance.pdf. 13 http://www.usglc.org/budget-center/on-the-record/military-leaders/. 14 Bloomberg Businessweek claims that 55% of U.S. goods shipments go to developing markets: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-13/record-u-s-exports-led-by-caterpillar-seen-in-worldmarkets.html#p1. 15 http://www.tradepartnership.com/pdf_files/Trade_and_American_Jobs7.2010.pdf p. 6 Table 4. 16 Food for Peace FY2011 Programs. http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA_File/usaid_fp_factsheet.pdf. 17 http://usa.wfp.org/news-story/monday-september-26-national-action-day. 18 Testimony of Raj Shah to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, March 20, 2012: http://transition.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2012/ty120320.html. 19 http://transition.usaid.gov/press/speeches/2010/sp100917.html. 20 Latest Results. http://www.pepfar.gov/results/index.htm. 21 http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/197708.pdf. 22 The Power of 1% and Global Health: Saving Lives, Improving Economic Opportunity, Promoting Security. http://www.usaid.gov/content/power-1-and-global-health-saving-lives-improving-economic-opportunitypromoting-security. 23 http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/4857/ChooseToInvest_booklet_Complete.pdf
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Quote Citations: As former Secretaries of State from both Democratic and Republican administrations, we urge you to support a strong and effective International Affairs Budget. We believe these programs are critical to Americas global leadership and represent strategic investments in our nations security and prosperity. Madeleine K. Albright, Henry A. Kissinger, Colin L. Powell, Condoleezza Rice and George P. Shultz Letter to Congress, November 14, 2011. In order to heal human suffering, America must lead. That means the government must lead. It means that corporate America must lead. It means that NGOs must lead. President George W. Bush http://www.usglc.org/2011/09/15/day-two-of-the-bush-summit-to-save-lives/.