Keep concern for global poverty in U.S. budget

As an American who volunteers in Africa in the battle against HIV/AIDS, I'm proud of my country's commitment to foreign development assistance. The U.S. has been a strong leader in decreasing extreme poverty and in turning the tide of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in the world's poorest countries.

In tandem with other countries and private organizations, the U.S. has made hugely impactful contributions to the Global Fund, which has saved 17 million lives since its start and is on track to save 22 million lives by the end of 2016.

The U.S. also has been a global leader on nutrition, working to meet the awesome goal of ending global hunger and malnutrition. In these days when grim news dominates the headlines, it's heartening to know experts predict that extreme poverty (living on $1.10 per day) can be ended by 2030. But to do so, we must not allow ourselves to become complacent. Now is the time to renew our commitment to this lifesaving work.

Rep. Peter Roskam and his colleagues currently are crafting the Congressional FY 2017 budget. I urge them to dedicate a small portion of that budget to fund these lifesaving programs. Less than 1 percent of the federal budget will save countless lives.

Providing U.S. foreign assistance is not only the right thing to do, it is demonstrably good for both the U.S. economy and our national security.

I look forward to seeing the U.S. continue to be a respected world leader in this regard.

Jan Lohs

Inverness