On Capitol Hill, New Jersey resident urges Senator Booker to protect foreign aid

WASHINGTON — Barb Barrar, a Magnolia resident, is on Capitol Hill today to urge Senator Booker to protect funding for the nation’s diplomacy and development programs, which save innocent lives, create jobs here in America and make our nation safer. Barb’s visit to Capitol Hill comes on the heels of President Trump’s recent budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2019, which included a roughly 30 percent cut to the international affairs budget from the FY17 enacted level.

“Now is the time for leaders like Senator Booker to stand up, speak out, and protect the international affairs budget, which helps advance America’s foreign policy and national security objectives,” said Barb Barrar of Magnolia. “If I could tell Senator Booker one thing, it would be that I’m a New Jerseyan and my neighbors and I care about the international affairs budget. With all that’s going on in the world, is now really the time to be cutting support for people that make it more stable and prevent conflicts? We need more diplomacy and development, not less. Failure to invest in the world’s poorest countries will squander this golden opportunity to harness Africa’s population boom by 2050 and help end extreme poverty once and for all. It’s important to me that Senator Booker is a leader on this, and I’ll be paying close attention to how he votes.”

“Our nation’s budget is a reflection of American leadership and American values,” said Tom Hart, North America executive director for The ONE Campaign. “Our nation’s elected leaders need to hear from their constituents about why the international affairs budget is such an important part of maintaining America’s standing abroad and advancing our strategic foreign policy interests. We hope leaders in Congress will listen to their constituents and fully reject any proposed cuts to the international affairs budget.”

The trip is part of The ONE Campaign’s annual Power Summit, which brings some of the global organization’s most elite volunteers from across the country together in the nation’s capital for cutting-edge training on advocating for the fight against global poverty and preventable diseases. In addition to meeting with their members of Congress, the three-day summit, which will take place February 24-26, 2018 at Gallaudet University in Washington, will offer attendees the opportunity to hear from some of the political and policy figures who’ve led the fight against extreme poverty and disease.

About President Trump’s FY19 Budget Request

In addition to $41.7 billion for the international affairs budget, an $18 billion cut (30 percent) from the FY17 enacted level, the President’s proposed budget includes:

• $3.85 billion for The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a $470 million cut from the FY17 enacted level (10.8% cut).
• $925 million for the Global Fund, a $424 million cut from the FY17 enacted level (31% cut).
• $78.5 million for nutrition programs, a $46.5 million cut from the FY17 enacted level (37% cut).
• $518 million for food security programs, a $482 million cut from the FY17 enacted level (48% cut).
• $511.9 million for education programs, a $288.1 million cut from the FY17 enacted level (36% cut).

Fast Facts About Extreme Poverty & Preventable Disease

• 4 countries face severe food crisis, threatening the lives of more than 20 million people. 
• 844 million people in the world—1 in 9 —lack access to safe water.
• 3 people are infected with HIV every minute.
• More people in the world’s poorest countries have access to a mobile phone than a toilet.
• Americans spend more on Halloween than the entire world spends on malaria in a year.
• Every minute, 11 children die largely from diseases that are entirely preventable.
• Every year, 1.3 billion tons of food, about a third of all food produced, is lost or wasted.
• Over 130 million girls are out of school globally – if this were the population of a country, it would be the 10th largest nation in the world.

About The ONE Campaign

ONE is a policy and advocacy organization of more than 9 million people taking action to end extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa. Not politically partisan, ONE was co-founded by U2 lead singer Bono to raise public awareness and press political leaders to combat AIDS and other preventable diseases, increase investments in agriculture and nutrition, and demand greater transparency in poverty-fighting programs.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 27, 2018

CONTACT: Sean Simons at sean.simons@one.org