On the recordApril 4, 2017
As the ranking member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, I am very concerned about these cuts. This undermines our leadership around the world and makes Americans less safe. When you consider that foreign aid is only 1 percent of our entire budget and helps keep Americans safe, it is an investment in our security. Fully funding our State Department and ensuring our diplomats have the resources they need prevents conflicts, diffuses crises, and works to keep American soldiers out of harm's way. U.S. foreign aid helps protect some of the world's poorest people from disease, starvation, and death. President Trump's own Secretary of Defense, General James Mattis, said: ``If you don't fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition. . . .'' I signed onto a letter led by Ranking Member Engel, along with my Democratic colleagues on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, urging the Speaker to oppose these draconian cuts. We are already hearing from our allies all over the Western Hemisphere how dangerous these cuts could be to the stability of the region. Countries like Colombia fought a 52-year-long war with the FARC guerrillas, and now, when they need us the most to implement the peace deal, the Trump administration has signaled it is ready to abandon one of our strongest partners in the world. The President claims to care about protecting our sovereign border, but this budget says otherwise.…
