Helping the world’s poor is a wise investment.

The International Affairs Budget (IAB) funds initiatives to help the world’s poor. Though it’s only 1 percent of the US federal budget, it’s impact is significant. Corporate leaders and generals agree that funding for global poverty reduction is an important national interest.

As poverty drops abroad, with the help of the United States and other nations, the middle class grows abroad. That means more consumption. All but 5 percent of the world’s consumers live outside the United States. As they buy more goods, the US can sell more produce. More production leads to job creation. And as the impoverished regions gain wealth, the areas become more stable. That’s important for national security.

With such advantages for helping the world’s poor, the International Affairs Budget should not be at risk. But it is. The current administration has proposed a 22 percent cut for FY2021.

Please urge Congress to protect funding for the International Affairs Budget. You can easily do so at borgenproject.org.