Hearts & Minds - Information for ChangeSM A Letter You Can Send Oppose big cuts in vital foreign aid

A bill in Congress threatens major cuts in our foreign aid. http://appropriations.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=253692

When used effectively, aid programs save millions of lives. Many Americans believe that we spend a large portion of our federal budget on foreign aid, while this figure is actually less than 0.6 percent.

Tell Congress that cuts in our already underfunded foreign aid programs are unacceptable. We should increase our aid and make it more effective.

Find out how we can make our aid programs better: http://www.heartsandminds.org/poverty/newgoals.htm. The lives of millions hang in the balance.

It's easy to send a letter today! (See below.) You can also spread the word!

Here are versions in Microsoft Word that you can download and edit if you like:

Write Your Congressperson!

Write your Senator!

Write President Obama! If you have trouble with this link, his address is:
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500

…and feel free to use the following letter as a model. Politicians consider handwritten letters more effective, since that shows you think this issue is worth even more of your time:

Your Name
Your Street Address, Apt. Number (if any)
City, State, Zip Code
(optional) Your Phone Number

(Today's Date)

The Honorable ____(Full name of Your Representative or Senator)
Washington, DC (zip code)
(Office addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and other contact information for your representatives can be found here: http://www.contactingthecongress.org/)

Dear Representative (or President or Senator) ___ (add their full name),

The hunger crisis right now in the Horn of Africa shows the importance of foreign aid.

Drastic cuts
The proposed big cuts would drastically limit our help all around the world.

The Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill for the 2012 fiscal year. It would cut USAID operating expenses by 27 percent, development assistance by 18 percent and international disaster assistance by 12 percent.

Foreign aid is only 0.23% of our nation's GDP. Aid supports our America's leadership and security. Let’s not cut invaluable programs on which we spend so little.

What you can do
In its current form, this bill will greatly reduce the impact of our aid programs and affect millions of lives. While it is important to reduce the current budget deficit, it should not be done at the expense of countries that are most in need of foreign assistance.

Instead of cutting our aid to the world’s poorest people, we should expand our programs and make every dollar much more effective: www.change.net/poverty/newgoals.htm.

Please oppose the plan outlined in the House Appropriations Bill in its current form. Instead, work with your fellow senators and the House to draft a bill that provides more funding to our aid programs.

Thank you,

(your signature)

(your type-written name)

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by Nicolò Bessone, Blaise Bradley, Priyanka Katumuluwa, and Bill Blackman Hearts & Minds volunteers
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