Rep. Madeleine Dean Condemns Cuts to USAID and State Department Funding

Opposition to State Department Bill

• 🇺🇸 Representative Madeleine Dean rises in opposition to the State Department bill, emphasizing that foreign assistance is critical for the U.S. foreign policy and its global standing.
• 📉 The bill is criticized for clawing back $9 billion in appropriated funds and presenting an FY26 budget that undermines safety, security, and prosperity.

Impact of USAID Cuts

• 💔 The shuttering of USAID and the destruction of food and aid are highlighted as scandalous, with USAID credited for building goodwill and preventing over 90 million deaths between 2001 and 2021.
• ⚠️ A study forecasts that defunding USAID could lead to 14 million deaths by 2030, including 4.5 million children and infants.
• 📉 The closure of USAID is estimated to have already caused the deaths of over 360,000 people, with 250,000 being children.

Hobbling Diplomatic Strength

• 🚫 The termination of 1,300 State Department experts is seen as hobbling diplomatic strength and creating a void for adversaries.
• 🗣️ These experts, who selflessly accumulated expertise, were let go without warning or cause.

Foreign Aid as National Security

• 🛡️ Citing Senator Marco Rubio's past statements, Dean argues that foreign aid is critical to national security, not charity.
• 📉 Despite past support for foreign assistance, Secretary of State Rubio is now supporting 22% cuts ($13 billion) to the State Department's budget.
• 🌍 Programs supporting stability and conflict prevention have been cut, increasing risks of global threats like terrorism and mass migration.

Moral and Economic Imperative

• 💡 Cuts to development and economic assistance by 21% hinder foreign partners' self-reliance.
• 💰 Foreign assistance, accounting for approximately 1% of the total budget, is an indispensable tool for U.S. safety, security, and economic prosperity.
• ❓ Dean questions the nation's obligation to lead and asks, "Do we not see the suffering of others?", urging colleagues to oppose the "drastic draconian cuts."