Freezing aid makes U.S. less safe

Freezing foreign assistance makes the U.S. weaker, less safe and less prosperous. Here’s how.

As we know all too well, diseases don’t respect boundaries. U.S. investments in global health have saved millions of lives — but they also help contain disease threats, such as the current outbreak of Ebola in Uganda, to keep us safe and healthy here at home. To pause these programs makes us less safe — to say nothing of the threat it poses to millions of people around the world who rely on US-funded programs for health care that keeps them alive.

Foreign assistance might eventually be delivered to other countries but in many cases, these are U.S. goods and products, like food and medicine, that are shared around the world. To pause foreign assistance risks American jobs and exports, leaving millions of dollars of resources to waste.

At a nexus of global conflict and crisis, now is an ill-advised time for the US to step away from its role as a global leader. The confusion, instability, and loss of trust that a sudden disruption of historic US support is currently causing provides an opportunity for America’s adversaries to gain ground.

At less than 1% of the federal budget, for a relatively modest amount of money, this work does a world of good. Our legislators must continue their support to maintain these vital programs — and the legacy of U.S. leadership that they’ve helped create.

Kristine Lofquist

Evanston