Urge Congress to defend vital global funding
Today, 305 million people need humanitarian assistance, more than twice as many as five years ago. Yet, the Trump Administration has proposed to slash up to 80% of foreign assistance funding.
If these proposed cuts are accepted, the U.S. will become weaker and more unsafe — and it will devastate communities around the globe.
Raise your voice to convince Congress to fund lifesaving aid and maintain long-term development programs. Send a letter to Congress urging them to reject the administration's proposal and maintain vital investments.
Here is the letter we will send to Congress on your behalf:
Dear Member of Congress,
As your constituent and supporter of Mercy Corps, I ask you to reject the draconian cuts proposed to the International Affairs budget the fiscal year 2026 Presidential Budget Request and maintain robust Congressional support for US foreign assistance programs.
The proposed cuts would make the U.S. weaker, less safe and less prosperous while also devastating communities around the world. If all Administration proposals are accepted, these cuts would slash international assistance funding by more than 80%.
US foreign assistance programs save lives and build a safe and more secure future. As many as 305 million people around the world need urgent humanitarian assistance today, more than twice as many as five years ago. At less than 1% of the budget, US investments in durable development solutions and emergency humanitarian response are vital to supporting communities around the world and ensure the safety, security and prosperity of the United States.
US foreign assistance is funded by five key accounts that provide the majority of US humanitarian and development programming:
- The humanitarian focused International Disaster Assistance (IDA), Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA), and Food for Peace Title II accounts provide critical lifesaving and emergency humanitarian and food assistance to millions of people affected by conflict, insecurity, natural disasters, and sudden onset emergencies. Resources for these accounts are vital not only to support vulnerable communities during emergencies but also to build on emergency relief through early recovery and resilience-building efforts. To maintain U.S. leadership investing in lasting change through foreign assistance, these accounts should be funded at no less than FY25 levels:
- IDA: $4.779 billion
- MRA: $3.928 billion
- Food for Peace: $1.69 billion
- And the Development Assistance (DA) and Economic Support Fund (ESF) accounts address the compounding challenges of conflict, poverty, and shocks, by supporting economic development, agriculture investments, water security, and social stability in countries of strategic U.S. interest. These programs are critical, as communities globally continue to be affected by recurring and increasingly extreme crises, and it is not strategic or sustainable to only respond to immediate needs. We must also invest in long-term sustainable development and resilience measures, which are crucial to helping communities become more resilient. To achieve these goals and help lessen future humanitarian needs, these accounts should be funded at no less than FY25 levels:
- DA: $3.931 billion
- ESF: $3.89 billion
With Congress’ Constitutional “power of the purse”, you are uniquely positioned in this moment to ensure the US government retains expertise, capacity and funding to effectively implement foreign assistance and support communities in need around the world.
It is critical that Congress rejects the Administration’s request and works to ensure that the International Affairs budget is fully funded.
To meet today’s global challenges, it is essential to maintain the longstanding bipartisan support for US global leadership to address both global emergency needs and support longer-term, durable development solutions. Congress must exercise its authority to direct spending and ensure that funds it provides reach those people most in need, while remaining accountable to the American people.
Sincerely,