Stop The Cuts To The International Affairs Budget

The Senate Budget Committee, chaired by Senator Kent Conrad, wants to cut $4 billion from the president’s International Affairs Budget -- the part of the budget funding almost all of our anti-poverty work. You can stop them, by calling your senators and asking them to support the Kerry-Lugar Amendment which would restore the full $4 billion.

If you’ve already called your senators, use the form below to let us know how those calls went. You can also watch the video and check out the instructions and talking points for help making your calls.

Call your senators now:

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING YOUR CALLS

1. Introduce yourself to the Senate staff member who answers your call, and make sure to tell her or him that you are a constituent.
2. Explain that you are calling to ask your senator to vote for the Kerry-Lugar Amendment to the Fiscal year 2010 Budget Resolution, which would restore funding for the International Affairs Budget.
3. You can continue by suggesting specific questions from the talking points, below.
4. When you're finished, thank the staff member for his or her time and for passing along your concerns. Then report how your call went using the reporting tool, to the right.

TALKING POINTS

1. The Kerry-Lugar amendment would restore funding for the International Affairs Budget to the $53.8 billion level requested by the President.
2. Not passing this amendment would lead to a freeze in programs that provide life-saving treatment for people with HIV/AIDS, preventing us from fulfilling our commitments in the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (or PEPFAR) legislation.
3. National security and foreign policy experts agree that a strong International Affairs Budget is an essential component of national security. Defense Secretary Gates has said: "What is clear to me is that there is a need for a dramatic increase in spending on the civilian instruments of national security – diplomacy, strategic communications, foreign assistance, civic action, and economic reconstruction and development."
4. Some have questioned the size of the President’s request and suggest that it represents a 41% increase from last year. This is inaccurate. Last year’s figure of $38 billion did not include supplemental appropriations. If we add supplemental appropriations to the baseline budget, last year’s total rises to $49.8 billion. The President’s request of $53.8 billion includes supplemental appropriations, and only represents a 9.5% increase for urgent priorities.