President and CEO Samuel A.

Worthington Chair Kathy Spahn

Helen Keller International

Vice Chair Neal Keny-Guyer

December 27, 2012 Dear Senator: I am writing to urge you to oppose the amendment being offered by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to the Supplemental Appropriations Act, which would offset spending in the bill by cutting $9 billion from key international development accounts nearly one-third of the annual budget to fight global poverty. While we understand and support the idea that we as a nation must balance our budget, this ill-considered amendment should be defeated because it runs counter to longstanding, deeply held American values, would damage United States interests abroad and would disproportionately cut the International Affairs budget. Since the end of World War II, U.S. foreign policy has been predicated upon the idea that we, as Americans, can improve people's lives around the world and that by promoting human dignity, we can help to bring greater peace and stability to the world. Together, we have saved millions of lives, from those threatened by AIDS, famine or drought to those facing destabilizing ethnic conflict, while providing emergency food and shelter to untold numbers of refugees and displaced persons forced from their homes by natural and man-made disasters. Our focus in fighting global poverty has helped create a culture of self-sufficiency in countless towns, villages and cities where people can now start businesses of their own and provide for themselves and their families, due to their own ingenuity and the generosity of the American people. We cannot turn our backs on this progress now. Millions of people around the world are infinitely better off today than they were just a few years ago. Our aid has helped to establish new markets for our goods overseas and brought greater stability and political freedom to places that had previously been volatile or autocratic. While we understand the serious budget problems facing our country, it would be a tragedy to address that by cutting aid for the world's poorest and most vulnerable. While it is true that charity begins at home, it must not end there. If we abandon the world's poor and turn inwards, we abandon our own national interests and our values as Americans. Please oppose this amendment. Sincerely,

Mercy Corps

Treasurer Jonathan Quick

Management Sciences for Health

Board of Directors Nancy Aossey

International Medical Corps

David Beckmann
Bread for the World

Nan Dale
Action Against Hunger US

Pape Gaye
IntraHealth

Anne Goddard
ChildFund International

Cindy Hallberlin
Good360

George Hamilton
Institute for Sustainable Communities

Susan Hayes
ReSurge International

Sarah Holewinski
Center for Civilians in Conflict

Sarah Kambou
ICRW

Ruth Messinger
American Jewish World Service

Carolyn Miles
Save the Children

John Nunes
Lutheran World Relief

Robert Radtke
Episcopal Relief and Development

Farshad Rastegar
Relief International

Jonathan Reckford
Habitat for Humanity

William S. Reese
International Youth Foundation

Tessie San Martin

Plan USA

Ron Sconyers
Physicians for Peace

Alison Smith
InsideNGO

Samuel A. Worthington President and CEO, InterAction

Tsehaye Teferra
Ethiopian Community Development Council

Adam Weinberg
World Learning

David Weiss
CHF International

1400 16th Street, NW Suite 210 Washington, DC 20036 Phone 202.667.8227 Fax 202.667.8236 Email ia@interaction.org www.InterAction.org