Lindsey Graham

Strategic development assistance is not charity; it is an essential, modern tool of U.S. national security.

It is a budget without strategy, disconnected from the threats and challenges that must be contained.

The President's budget represents a retreat from that leadership and the global actions that support America's security and prosperity.

The current global challenges we face as a nation argue for more, not less, foreign aid, and strong U.S. leadership.

The drastic cuts proposed in President Trump's fiscal year 2018 budget do nothing to further either those interests or those values.

U.S. foreign assistance is needed now more than ever.--It is a critical lifeline for the world's most vulnerable and the visible expression of America's interests and values.

Cutting the U.S. foreign aid budget as the administration has proposed--a nearly one third reduction overall, with a 46 percent cut to development assistance, a 26 percent cut to global health programs, and a stunning 45 percent cut to…

We are encouraged by the shared, bipartisan concerns expressed throughout Congress--including by Chairman Graham and Ranking Member Leahy.

Congress has historically acted as the validator of worthwhile presidential initiatives--such as PEPFAR and Feed the Future--and a check on ill-considered cuts.

The proposed disproportionate reduction would be disastrous.

America intends to maintain our preeminent leadership position in the world.

This budget will jeopardize millions of lives, and reverse decades of efforts to bring sustainable development, opportunity, health and dignity to people around the world.

A 29 percent cut means you really have to withdraw from the world because your presence is compromised. That may be the goal of this budget. It's not my goal. This guts soft power as we know it.

The proposed cuts to public diplomacy and educational exchanges seem to us similarly misguided.

Eliminating the Presidentially-directed, Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance (ERMA) account and cutting the Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) are contradictory to the basic humanitarianism manifested by the Statue of Liberty.

Cuts of the magnitude proposed would be a disaster for America's long term security that rest extensively on the strength of our diplomacy.

Our commitment to democratic principles and our shared values create the bedrock of our long-term partnership with the United States.

The U.S. administration's decision to shift FMF assistance to Tunisia in fiscal year 2018 to loans effectively places an undue burden on Tunisia.

This generous assistance has been critical in reinforcing security in Tunisia.

We will continue to lead international development, global health, democracy and good governance, and humanitarian efforts.

We cannot sit on the sidelines and watch the State Department be seen as retreating at a time when we need more soft power, not less.

I think this budget will cost influence, we're going to lose influence, it's going to put lives at risk.

I do not understand how you can cut soft power by 29 percent.

Even after all those reforms, you just need more soldiers out there in the fight.

We're going to cost-plus contracts have been replaced by fixed-price contracts. That's been a hell of a fight, but it's going to save money.