Full PDF of letter with signatures available here

May 13, 2020

The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
United States Senate

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House
U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Chuck Schumer
Minority Leader
United States Senate

The Honorable Kevin McCarthy
Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader McCarthy, Majority Leader McConnell, and Minority Leader Schumer:

Thank you for your leadership to protect Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. We write as former colleagues in the Senate and House to encourage you to prioritize critical emergency resources for America’s global response to the pandemic in upcoming supplemental legislation.

As long as COVID-19 continues to spread anywhere, especially in the developing world, Americans will not be safe. As the CDC has reported, more than 70% of the world’s nations are ill-equipped to handle outbreaks, and if we neglect the global dimension of our pandemic response, a second wave of the disease could rebound to our shores. We have the tools to prevent this: America’s global health security investments in the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the CDC – as well as key global players like the Global Fund, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to fight diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis have the unique capabilities and track record to mitigate the impact in the developing world.

The global health threat of COVID-19 will be matched by economic devastation of export markets and supply chains around the world that will threaten our own recovery. The financial damage will spill over and exacerbate ongoing humanitarian crises, leading to greater violence, hunger, and forced migration if we do not commit to addressing it now.

As some of our nation’s top retired military leaders recently stated, “No matter how successful we are in fighting the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic at home, we will never stop it unless we are also fighting it around the world.” We strongly urge you to support robust resources for the International Affairs Budget dedicated to America’s leadership in battling this pandemic around the world – to keep us safe and to protect our economic recovery at home.

Sincerely,

The Honorable Norm Coleman
United States Senate, 2003 – 2009

The Honorable Dan Glickman
U.S. House of Representatives, 1977 – 1995

The Honorable Thomas Daschle
Former Majority Leader
United States Senate, 1987 – 2005

The Honorable William H. Frist
Former Majority Leader
United States Senate, 1995 – 2007

The Honorable George Allen
United States Senate, 2001 – 2007

The Honorable Howard Berman
U.S. House of Representatives, 1983 – 2013

The Honorable James Blanchard
U.S. House of Representatives, 1975 – 1983

The Honorable William Cohen
United States Senate, 1979 – 1997

U.S. House of Representatives, 1973 – 1979

The Honorable Charlie Dent
U.S. House of Representatives, 2005 – 2018

The Honorable Christopher Dodd
United States Senate, 1981 – 2011
U.S. House of Representatives, 1975 – 1981

The Honorable Mickey Edwards
U.S. House of Representatives, 1977 – 1983

The Honorable Sam Gejdenson
U.S. House of Representatives, 1981 – 2001

The Honorable Lee Hamilton
U.S. House of Representatives, 1965 – 1999

The Honorable Gary Hart
United States Senate, 1975 – 1987

The Honorable Mike Johanns
United States Senate, 2009 – 2015

The Honorable Jim Kolbe
U.S. House of Representatives, 1985 – 2007

The Honorable Joseph Lieberman
United States Senate, 1989 – 2013

The Honorable Connie Mack
United States Senate, 1989 – 2001

The Honorable Sam Nunn
United States Senate, 1972 – 1997

The Honorable Bill Richardson
U.S. House of Representatives, 1983 – 1997

The Honorable Tom Ridge
U.S. House of Representatives, 1983 – 1995

The Honorable Chuck Robb
United States Senate, 1989 – 2001

The Honorable Ed Royce
U.S. House of Representatives, 1993 – 2019

The Honorable Rick Santorum
United States Senate, 1995 – 2007
U.S. House of Representatives, 1991 – 1995

The Honorable Vin Weber
U.S. House of Representatives, 1981 – 1993

The Honorable Alan Wheat
U.S. House of Representatives, 1983 – 1995

cc: The Honorable Richard C. Shelby, Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee
The Honorable Patrick Leahy, Vice Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee
The Honorable Lindsey Graham, Chairman, Senate SFOPS Appropriations Committee
The Honorable Nita M. Lowey, Chairwoman, House Appropriations Committee
The Honorable Kay Granger, Ranking Member, House Appropriations Committee
The Honorable Harold Rogers, Ranking Member, House SFOPS Appropriations Committee