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Tell Congress to Support International Affairs and Global Education in the FY18 Budget!

The President's proposed budget historically serves as a document to tell the world what the United States cares about and intends to prioritize, continue, or change. The budget proposed for the 2018 Fiscal Year by President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos cuts the global education budget by half and proposes significant cuts to the International Affairs Budget, the State Department, and USAID. The budget intends to redirect funds cut from critical and life-saving work to the military budget. While the President's budget proposal would cut the international development and diplomacy programs, including global education, and programs that assist with humanitarian and disaster recovery, President Trump proposes to continue aid to political allies and provide military funding to Egypt. Consequently, these cuts to foreign assistance and global education would lead to global instability and weaken the United States' standing in the world. The budget cuts would regress the work the United States has done to promote global education and assist those who need our support the most, including: girls, those with disabilities, people in crisis-ridden regions, and the impoverished.

The International Affairs budget is among of the most disproportionately affected by the budget cuts in the Administration's proposed budget. The President proposed a 32% cut to the International Affairs budget, including Foreign Assistance. These cuts would reduce the International Affairs Budget to about 0.2% of GDP, the lowest level since World War II. The graphic shows the changes in the International Affairs Budget in relation to percentage of GDP in the last 40 years and the dramatic decrease that would occur in 2018. Please click the graphic above to view a larger version. By decreasing the International Affairs Budget further, the United States would reduce its ability to promote security and welfare around the world by funding quality education and fostering diplomatic relations with other countries, which in turn encourages peace and safety and strengthens the global economy for all. However, the Adminstration's budget unfortunately does the opposite and tells the world that the United States no longer cares about foreign assistance and global education.

Congress decides the final budget, so it is important to contact your Representatives and Senators right away to inform them that you support Foreign Aid and disagree with significant cuts to the International Affairs budget and global education.