Taken all together, US foreign assistance programs represent less than 1% of the federal budget. Conservation programs are an even smaller fraction. Send your message to Congress now and ask them to support continued US foreign assistance funding, including for critical conservation efforts around the world.
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Dear Member of Congress,
I am writing to express my strong support for US foreign assistance and my deep concern over efforts to freeze funding for these programs and even eliminate many of them altogether. Among the programs that are impacted are international conservation programs that have enjoyed strong and long-standing bipartisan support. I ask that you continue to support these programs and vote to ensure continued US government investments in developing countries to conserve nature and prevent wildlife trafficking, illegal fishing, and the illegal timber trade.
US foreign assistance is essential to America's global leadership, making us safer, stronger, and more prosperous. It supports essential, lifesaving programs around the world to prevent starvation and malnutrition, lift people out of poverty, stop the spread of diseases such as malaria, HIV, and Ebola, and prevent the loss of nature, which is essential to food and water security and economic opportunity in the developing world. US foreign assistance funding also supports efforts to combat transnational organized crimes, including the multi-billion dollar illicit trade in natural resources such as wildlife, timber and fish.
These programs are not charity: they support America's interests around the world, strengthening our safety and security while earning us critical friends and allies and increasing prosperity for all, including here in the United States. As has been recognized by leaders of varying political persuasions, including in our military, this "soft power" is essential to maintaining America's standing and leadership in the world, especially in a time of increasing global competition.
As your constituent, I ask you to help ensure that these programs continue, including supporting US government investments in developing countries to conserve nature and prevent trafficking in wildlife, timber, fish and other natural resources.
Thank you,
