American Jewish World Service (AJWS) calls on legislators to protect international programs for women, girls and LGBTQI+ people
In response to the introduction of President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget, Rori Kramer, Director of Government Affairs at American Jewish World Service, issued the following statement:
“We strongly denounce President Trump’s unceasing attempts to obliterate America’s foreign assistance budget. We are alarmed that this dramatic 22% proposed cut would curtail aid and development programs for the most vulnerable people around the world, including women, girls, and LGBTQI+ people, and would cause irreparable damage to institutions working to uphold human rights across the globe.
We are especially concerned about the Administration’s determination to undermine global health programming further withdraw the U.S. from multilateral institutions and environmental organizations, and weaken U.S. support of human rights defenders across the globe. These harmful proposals weaken decades-long U.S. global leadership on human rights issues and damage our stature as a beacon for those around the world who work for justice.
As a faith-based organization committed to upholding the human rights of all individuals across the globe, we oppose any attempt to cut the foreign assistance budget that supports vulnerable people and communities. This invaluable work costs less than one percent of all U.S. government spending. We are grateful for Congress’s bipartisan leadership in protecting this funding, and we call on Congress to swiftly reject this budget.”
About the human rights work of American Jewish World Service (AJWS)
AJWS funds LGBTI+ human rights groups in 19 countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa, and mobilizes the American Jewish community to advocate for U.S. policies that support human rights abroad. With Jewish values and a global reach, AJWS is making a difference in millions of lives and bringing a more just and equitable world closer for all.
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