WASHINGTON – Liz Schrayer, President and CEO of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), released the following statement on the Administration’s proposal to rescind $8.3 billion in FY24 and FY25 international assistance resources:

The Administration’s proposal to claw back more than $8 billion in international assistance resources that Congress just recently approved is not only asking lawmakers to surrender their Constitutional power of the purse, but also is not how America wins in the world.

We can all agree that U.S. international assistance can work better for the American people and that strategic reforms to maximize the impact of every dollar are needed – but this request to slash funding for critical global health programs such as PEPFAR and humanitarian assistance for vulnerable children does just the opposite.

At a time when China, Russia, and other rivals are expanding their influence around the world, broad-stroke cuts are simply a gift to our competitors giving them exactly what they want: a smaller and weaker American footprint.

Republican and Democratic administrations and bipartisan Members of Congress have long understood that diplomacy and international assistance are not giveaways – they are strategic investments in Americans’ security and prosperity.

We urge Congress to reject these rescissions and work through the appropriations process to thoroughly evaluate the direct impacts of any changes to past and future funding to both America’s national interests and its own oversight authority. Congress must not allow a retreat by America to become a strategic win for China, Russia and our other rivals.