Pictured : Liz Schrayer
WAY TO GO YOHO . House Freedom Caucus member Rep . Ted Yoho surprised many when testifying before a House Appropriations Subcommittee : “ I ’ m a guy that came up here to get rid of foreign aid . I ran on that . But in my four years here I ’ ve become much more learned . At a time when American leadership is needed more than ever , we must continue to invest in the International Affairs Budget .” The Chair of the Subcommittee , Hal Rogers , called the Administration ’ s proposal a “ puny request ” for the State Department and foreign assistance .
FOGGY BOTTOM . Fresh off hosting 68 countries for a summit on countering ISIS , Secretary Rex Tillerson just met with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee over lunch this past week — his first meeting with the whole committee since his confirmation . While many hot spot issues were brought to the table , the State Department budget was a major topic of concern raised by Republicans and Democrats from across the spectrum . Tillerson is apparently launching a review , following a recent executive order , to find ways to make the Department and USAID more effective , not convinced that all the personnel are necessary .
FAMINE WATCH . At the same lunch , top Senators delivered a bipartisan letter urging a “ diplomatic surge ” to “ prevent millions of people from dying unnecessarily from starvation ” due to the famines and called for immediate help to open up access for food relief . Shout out to Senators Young and Cardin — the sponsors — and signers Rubio , Markey , Gardner , Shaheen , Flake , Coons , Murphy , and Booker .
KOREA CRISIS . As tensions between the U . S . and North Korea flare , a new UN report found that 40 % of North Koreans — more than 10 million — are undernourished . The report also noted that more than 70 % of the population relies on food aid , and an estimated 18 million people suffer from food insecurity and depend on government food rations .
TRADE TROUBLE . Was the recent proposal to eliminate the U . S . Trade and Development Agency a misread of the data ? The Washington Post points out that this tiny agency delivers an economic punch way above its weight : a return of $ 85 in U . S . exports for every $ 1 spent on its programming , and it directly boosted U . S . exports by $ 3 billion last year .
NATIONAL ACTS . With tens of thousands of citizen advocates calling on their elected officials as part of a national mobilization effort , March has been a big month in Washington with high-impact advocacy events from the ONE Campaign , ChildFund , the National Peace Corps Association , and Save the Children . Coming this week : 15,000 + advocates attending the AIPAC Policy Conference head to the Hill to advocate for full support of the International Affairs Budget — perhaps the largest gathering on this issue .
WHY IT MATTERS . The always-inspiring Bill Gates in TIME Magazine on why America can ’ t retreat : “ When you help a mother save her child ’ s life , she never forgets . Withdrawing now would not only cost lives , it would create a leadership vacuum that others would happily fill .” iF Magazine | www . iFMagazine . net 31