Grace Meng: “I rise in support of the 2026 Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and…”

“I rise in support of the 2026 Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act. America is at a fork in the road in our international affairs. Over the past year, our soft power has been decimated. Millions of people in need have been recklessly cut off from vital assistance. Billions of dollars in lifesaving health and food supplies purchased by American taxpayers have been stranded in supply chains, or worse, destroyed. Thousands of public servants, including many of my own constituents, who dedicated their lives to protecting our country and projecting our soft power, were fired. This bill isn't the one Democrats would have written if we were in the majority, but I want to share why I support it. First, it continues U.S. support for women around the world. Women are one-half of the world's population, but too many still face obstacles to economic opportunity, gender equality, and their fundamental freedoms. This funding has been a core pillar of U.S. assistance since the 1950s, and it is lifesaving. Estimates suggest that each year, it prevents 17.1 million unintended pregnancies and saves the lives of 34,000 women and girls who otherwise would have died from complications of pregnancy and childbirth.”