ONE Statement on FY13 Appropriations

Washington, DC – Tom Hart, U.S. Executive Director of the ONE Campaign, today issued the following statement:

“While we understand the difficult fiscal choices which Congress must make in these challenging times, we are deeply disappointed that the House is targeting foreign assistance for sharp reductions as part of the FY13 appropriations process. Foreign assistance is among the programs slated to receive the deepest cuts in the proposed House appropriation. At 9.4% below current FY12 levels, the House budget represents a dramatic 26% cut to foreign assistance funding levels from just three years ago.

“The possible cuts to global health, food security and other life-saving and income-generating development programs would achieve only symbolic savings in balancing the overall budget, yet they would have a profound impact on human lives and dignity.

“As Congress enters the next phase of the appropriations process, ONE calls on the House State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee to establish an equitable way to apply reductions to prioritize and protect programs that have delivered results.

“ONE and our 3 million members will rally and vigorously oppose unfair cuts that would have a devastating effect on the cost-effective, proven programs that fight HIV/AIDS, hunger and preventable disease. All for less than 1% of the U.S. federal budget, these funds effectively stretch American international engagement and are key to bolstering stability in the developing world, which strengthens our own national security interests. As ONE acknowledges the extremely tough job at hand for appropriators, we believe Congress must maintain our humanitarian priorities and continue America’s lifesaving legacy.”