What’s happening?
Organizations dedicated to advancing American interests by supporting freedom, advancing humanitarian relief efforts, and countering authoritarian adversaries in places like China, Russia, Iran, North Korea (CRINK) testified before the House Committee on Appropriations this week. These organizations face an existential crisis amid skepticism of foreign aid and executive action.
Why it matters
Many Americans understandably prioritize issues that they wrestle with daily – kitchen table issues like getting good jobs, buying groceries, and paying bills. Assistance for foreign nations seems literally and figuratively far away from their lives. They also, rightfully, want to ensure their government isn’t wasting tax dollars.
Americans, though, are compassionate and generous people. This trait is often demonstrated through domestic and international relief efforts organized through American faith communities (some of which utilize government funding for their work).
Moreover, public opinion research reveals that Americans have positive views toward U.S. global involvement. The 2024 Reagan National Defense survey shows that most Americans want a more engaged foreign policy and nearly 90% are concerned about cooperation between authoritarian countries like CRINK. (The Bush Institute shares those concerns and offered ideas for tackling the problem). Moreover, most Americans agree about supporting democracies like Ukraine and Taiwan against authoritarian aggression.
What many may not realize is that U.S. foreign assistance lies at the intersection of these issues. It provides incredible value for advancing national security and economic goals that keep the United States safe and prosperous.
International Republican Institute President Daniel Twining summarized it like this in his testimony to the House Committee on Appropriations: “In this current fiscal year, Congress funded the National Endowment for Democracy and the Democracy Fund with approximately 1% of its foreign affairs budget, which is close to 1% of the total budget. I testify today that this 1% of 1% yields the potential to create new democracies and new allies, ones that won’t be enemies, won’t side with terrorism and international cartels and criminal organizations, allies that won’t prefer the [Chinese Communist Party] over the USA and won’t force their citizens to flee to our borders.”
Bottom line
U.S. foreign aid organizations support humanitarian relief efforts and freedom. In doing so, they help transform potential enemies into America’s friends and secure important American interests like preventing deadly disease and fostering internal stability. As Twining indicated, they do this at a relatively low cost. This reduces threats to the United States and makes the world safer and more prosperous. Those allies also provide our country with reliable markets, security, and travel and leisure opportunities. We see this exemplified through former dictatorships (now democracies) across Eastern Europe and in the Indo-Pacific, with allies like South Korea and Japan. Responsible U.S. foreign assistance – with necessary oversight from Congress and the State Department – is a slam dunk for any comprehensive national security strategy. And reform efforts should avoid total demolition of proven infrastructure, like this network of organizations, that utilize allocated resources to America’s benefit.
