Not Just Numbers
Toolkit and Social Media Action
Join InterAction and our members on the hashtag #NotJustNumbers
The House recently unveiled budget allocations with deep and disproportionate cuts to foreign assistance. This toolkit, created by InterAction, will help you understand what these cuts are, how they affect foreign assistance and give you some ways to speak out against them.
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We are deeply troubled by the House’s proposed allocations for foreign assistance spending in FY2014. We expected some cuts (the House approved a smaller overall budget for 2014). But we are surprised and concerned by the severity of the proposed cuts to life-saving assistance – and that they’re disproportionate.
The State, Foreign Operations (SFOPs) bill faces at least a 15% cut under the House’s budget plan – and that’s on top of cuts from sequestration.* This is an account that funds programs from global health to food aid to peacekeeping forces. Meanwhile, the House is proposing spending increases for defense, the largest discretionary budget item, as well as for Homeland Security and the legislative branch (which covers congressional salaries). The argument that “we have to cut somewhere” no longer holds up when the cuts aren’t applied even-handedly. To propose a deep cut for some and increases for others is not sharing the burden.
What is the 302(b) allocation?
The House and Senate every year are supposed to write budgets that set caps for total discretionary spending for the coming fiscal year. The next step in the process is the critical 302(b) allocation, when the House and Senate Appropriations committees divide those top-line numbers into individual allocations for the various spending bills.
The House Appropriations Committee met on May 21 to determine those 302(b) allocations for fiscal year 2014 and – while cuts were expected across the board - they were not applied evenly. Under the House allocations, defense would get more funding, along with Congress itself, while State, Foreign Operations would receive at least a 15% cut.
Why does it matter?
These are not just numbers on a piece of paper. The programs funded by this account are lifesaving and life changing. These cuts would have real consequences for people all over the world who are working to lift themselves out of poverty and recover from crisis. Our efforts abroad are not only the right thing to do, but they ensure our standing in the world as a global leader and increase economic opportunities for average American citizens and businesses.
Deep cuts on an account that is less than 1% of the federal budget will not resolve the deficit. But they will roll back gains in global health, food security and other areas at a time when one in eight people suffer from hunger and more people are displaced than at any other time in the past 15 years.
What can we do about it?
Contact your elected officials: Write a letter, make a phone call, or tweet at your members of Congress. Thank them for their work, or tell them why they should support a strong SFOPs allocation. Your message can be simple: I support foreign assistance and Congress should too (see our sample letters and phone call scripts).
Join: InterAction and our members on the hashtag #NotJustNumbers on Thursday, June 6 for a day of social media action.
See what our members are saying:
- I support foreign assistance and Congress should too. #NotJustNumbers @McConnellPress @JohnCornyn @SenJohnThune
- Tell your senator to support foreign assistance, http://goo.gl/NSDkG, They’re #NotJustNumbers, they’re people’s lives. http://goo.gl/D0ph2
- “We have to cut somewhere,” doesn’t hold up when the cuts aren’t applied even-handedly #NotJustNumbers http://goo.gl/3iHlU
What comes next?
With your help, we hope to get the Senate allocation as high as possible. This will help to establish a strong bipartisan example of support for foreign assistance.
Explainer Video
Not Just Numbers: Foreign Assistance in the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget from InterAction on Vimeo.
Suggested Outreach to Congress
Find your senator or representative.
Congressional Staffer: Good afternoon; Congressman XX’s office.
Constituent: Hi, my name is ___ and I’m from the Congressman’s district, and I’d like to register my support for foreign aid funding in 2014. I hope Congressman XX will support me in that.
- If you’d like to get more detailed you can say: “I believe foreign aid is important in pulling people out of poverty, protecting U.S. interests abroad and in improving our economy here at home.”
Congressional Staffer: Thanks. What’s your name and address?
Phone Call to Senate Office
Senate Staffer: Good afternoon; Senator XX’s office.
Constituent: Hi, my name is ___ and I’m from (state), and I’d like to register my support for foreign aid funding in 2014. I hope Senator XX will contact the appropriations committee to support a strong allocation for foreign aid in the FY2014 budget.
- If you’d like to get more detailed you can say: “I believe foreign aid is important in pulling people out of poverty, protecting U.S. interests abroad and in improving our economy here at home.”
Senate Staffer: Thanks. What’s your name and address?
Letters/Emails to Representatives
Dear Representative ____:
I am writing to express my deep concern about the House of Representatives’ proposed budget for foreign aid in FY2014.
While I understand that cuts need to be made in order to balance our budget, those cuts should be applied as evenly as possible, and not disproportionately impact one part of the budget over another. The current House proposal places a disproportionate share of the burden on the State, Foreign Operations bill, the core of the U.S. foreign aid budget, by cutting 15% from it, while other bills would not be cut at all, or would even receive an increase. This is not “sharing the burden” and is an unwise and unfair way of distributing the cuts.
While representing just 1% of the total U.S. federal budget, foreign aid plays an enormously important role in helping pull people out of poverty, protecting U.S. interests abroad, and developing economies around the globe that can serve as our future trade partners. It does not serve our interests to cut foreign aid and could do irreparable harm to our standing around the world.
Please support a robust U.S. foreign aid budget for FY2014.
Sincerely,
Constituent Joe Smith
Letters/Emails to Senators
Dear Senator ____:
I am writing to express my support for a robust foreign aid budget in FY2014. While representing just 1% of the total U.S. federal budget, foreign aid plays an enormously important role in helping pull people out of poverty, protecting U.S. interests abroad, and developing economies around the globe that can serve as our future trade partners. It does not serve our interests to cut foreign aid and could do irreparable harm to our standing around the world.
I am particularly concerned that the current proposal from the House of Representatives would cut foreign aid disproportionately, while other bills would not be cut at all, or would even receive an increase. This is not “sharing the burden” and is an unwise and unfair way of distributing the cuts.
Please support foreign aid and contact the appropriations committee to ask them to support a robust U.S. foreign aid budget for FY2014.
Sincerely,
Constituent Joe Smith
