FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contacts:
Suzanne Arnold, [email protected], (609) 610-4957

Proposal includes funding for poverty-focused development and humanitarian programs, but Congress must provide significant and immediate funding to address the COVID-19 pandemic

Washington, D.C. (July 13, 2020) – On July 9, the House Appropriations Committee advanced the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Department of State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS) Appropriations bill, after the bill received unanimous support at the Subcommittee level. The bill includes funding for critical programs serving vulnerable children throughout the world, including those affected by the coronavirus pandemic. On a bipartisan basis, the bill soundly rejects the Trump Administration’s misguided proposals to drastically reduce the international affairs budget and promotes U.S. global leadership, including through continued engagement with the WHO and robust contributions to the UN’s Global Humanitarian Response Plan.

“Save the Children commends Chairwoman Nita Lowey and Ranking Member Rogers for their continued support of vulnerable children worldwide and their staunch bipartisan embrace of U.S. global leadership and engagement,” said Save the Children CEO Janti Soeripto.

“The Committee’s inclusion of supplemental funding to address the myriad impacts of COVID-19 is especially critical,” continued Soeripto. “The world’s poorest families, especially women and girls, are paying the highest price with reduced access to food, health services and protection measures, which will have severe and long-lasting impacts.”

This legislation will be Chairwoman Lowey’s final foreign assistance bill, as she is retiring after more than 30 years of historic service in the House, including becoming the first woman to lead the Committee on Appropriations.

“Chairwoman Lowey is a champion for children, and we recognize her unwavering commitment to ensuring all children, no matter where they are born, receive a quality education,” Soeripto remarked. “The protection and empowerment of women and girls is another hallmark of her public service. Chairwoman Lowey’s influence on millions of children’s lives will be felt for decades to come.”

Save the Children, together with Save the Children Action Network (SCAN), now calls on Congress to provide robust funding for the international response to COVID-19 before the August recess. The additional funding recommended by the Committee is a positive step in the right direction, but significant levels of assistance are urgently needed to help prevent the spread of the virus, as well as ensure access to life-saving services and mitigate negative consequences such as spikes in hunger and gender-based violence.

 

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