American Jewish World Service decries new proposed curbs on foreign aid and State Department human rights programs
American Jewish World Service (AJWS) Director of Government Affairs Rori Kramer issued this statement following the introduction of the President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget:
“As the leading global Jewish organization that supports advocates for human rights and works to end poverty in 19 countries, American Jewish World Service (AJWS) vehemently opposes President Trump’s proposed new budget. The enormous cuts would harm the world’s most vulnerable people by further reducing important aid and development programs and undercutting institutions critical to upholding human rights worldwide.
“We stand firmly in opposition to the president’s destructive proposal of a 24 percent cut in foreign aid. These cutbacks in foreign assistance would hurt human rights advocates, ethnic minorities, girls and women, LGBTQI people and the environment, while empowering authoritarian regimes and other bad actors. By continuing to reduce long-term development investments, halting funding to multilateral human rights and environmental organizations and eliminating sexual and reproductive health services for women and girls, the Trump administration’s budget would do irreparable damage around the world.
“As a global organization that has worked around the world for nearly three and a half decades, we know that America’s foreign assistance is vital to defending human rights and helping people lift themselves from poverty. America has a proud, bipartisan history of supporting this crucial work and we encourage Congress to continue that tradition.
“These programs make up less than one percent of all U.S. government spending, so we call on members of Congress from both parties to oppose these latest destructive cuts. We also call on American Jews and the leaders and organizations that represent them to raise all their voices in favor of our values and our common vision for as champions of human rights and dignity around the world.”
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About American Jewish World Service
American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is the leading Jewish organization working to realize human rights and end poverty in the developing world. AJWS defends civil and political rights, advances sexual health and rights, promotes climate justice and aids communities in the aftermath of disasters. We pursue lasting change by supporting grassroots and global human rights organizations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and by advocating for U.S. and international policies for justice and equality worldwide. Learn more at www.ajws.org.
For More Information
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