Why supporting foreign aid is important

In a world that seems more cruel and divided than ever, supporting development and causes that unite people is vitally important. One such cause that is often misunderstood is foreign aid. Many nations and nonprofits throughout the world support foreign aid. U.S. foreign assistance takes many forms, including development and humanitarian assistance, health, education, democracy and governance, and peace and security. It advances U.S. interests in three ways: national security, meeting moral duties, and economic development. One way to view foreign aid is as an investment for future good and economic growth as well as a form of peacekeeping and protection for U.S. citizens and military abroad.

One of the challenges facing foreign aid is a lack of public support mainly due to misinformation. For example, many Americans believe that about 25 percent of the federal budget is allocated for foreign aid and that it should be reduced to 10 percent. In reality, less than 1 percent of the federal budget supports foreign aid. It is crucial that our representatives continue to protect this portion of the budget in years to come.

Another popular myth is that foreign aid is unpopular when really, over the last 25 years, around 75 percent of Americans support foreign aid programs. This is a bipartisan issue and it is supported by Republicans and Democrats alike as well as high-ranking military leaders.

I urge our Washington state representatives as well as citizens to support foreign aid and protect the international affairs budget.