Opinion Pieces Discuss Foreign Assistance, Food Aid Budgets

The Hill: Real possibility of ending hunger and extreme poverty
David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World

“A world without hunger and poverty is no longer a dream. … Increased political commitment is crucial to real progress against hunger and poverty. Over the last five years, Bread for the World and other faith groups have had to play defense. Powerful forces in the U.S. Congress have been pushing for deep cuts in all the programs that are focused on people in poverty. But thanks in part to a coalition of faith leaders and faith-grounded activists across the country, the cuts to these programs have so far been minimal. Remarkably, we have increased U.S. funding for international development assistance in each of the last four years. … The real possibility of dramatic progress against hunger and poverty is moving many religious believers to insist that our political leaders help to make this dream come true” (4/17).

Huffington Post: Congress Must Hear the Cries of Hunger From Abroad
William Lambers, author of ‘Ending World Hunger’

“As Congress debates the foreign aid budget, they should hear the cries of hunger from abroad. They should also listen to the echoes of history. … The actions Congress takes in the coming months will have a major impact on the fates of the hungry people worldwide, for Congress will decide the funding for the U.S. Food for Peace program. … We can definitely increase the resources for food aid programs, which are about less than one tenth of one percent of the federal budget. They can certainly be increased from this relatively tiny level of spending. Food is peace. Congress must remember this as it crafts the new budget in the coming months…” (4/17).

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