Coalition Letter Opposing Rescissions of Foreign Assistance

June 5, 2025 

Dear Member of Congress: 

We write to express our deep concern about the White House rescissions package (Rescission proposal no. R25-1) dated May 28, 2025. While the White House argues that these rescissions will make the United States safer, stronger and more prosperous, we, the undersigned 78 organizations, lament the proposal will achieve the opposite. 

We urge you to oppose the rescission of any foreign assistance funds related to urgent human needs, including food, medical and humanitarian aid, and to global stability and resilience, such as peacebuilding, poverty-focused development assistance, climate resilience and good governance. 

This rescissions package seeks to make legal the Trump administration’s draconian cuts to foreign assistance programs. Providing Congressional approval for these cuts will result in otherwise preventable deaths, the spread of infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance, and increased global poverty, instability and violence. These cuts will not only have a devastating impact on civilians across the globe, they will also make Americans more vulnerable and less safe. These cuts will create vacuums in leadership that allow infectious disease, instability and violence to spread, undermining U.S. national security interests, disrupting U.S trade, harming U.S. credibility as a steadfast partner to its allies, and allowing malign actors to increase their influence. 

The constitution is clear: Congress guides, not obeys, the executive branch on matters of federal spending. We strongly urge Congress to protect its constitutional authority and reject these rescissions.  

Rescinding these previously appropriated funds for foreign assistance defies the long-held values of the United States and the current views of its people. A Pew Research Center survey found that 68% of U.S. adults wanted to maintain or increase spending on foreign aid, and this past February the University of Maryland found that 89% of Americans believed the U.S. should invest at least 1% of its federal budget in foreign assistance, in line with current Congressional appropriations. In fact, the majority of Republicans said the U.S. should invest at least 5% of the federal budget in foreign assistance, with majorities of Democrats and Independents calling for at least 10%.  

Americans are generous. In 1917 President Wilson established the U.S. Food Agency and, shortly thereafter, the American Relief Administration (ARA), which supplied 34 million tons of American food, clothing and supplies to Europeans affected by World War I. The ARA leveraged Congressional appropriations and private donations to provide critical rations to Soviet civilians during the Povolzhye famine. Over a century later, this legacy of generosity has continued through both Congressional appropriations and Americans’ pocketbooks. In 2023, Americans donated $29.94 billion in private charitable giving to organizations focused on international aid, development, peace and humanitarian relief.  

However, private philanthropy cannot match the scope and scale of U.S. government funding, material support, and influence. Federal investment in foreign assistance is irreplaceable and essential. Prior to the administration’s cuts to foreign assistance programs, the United States was the world’s largest provider of food, medical and humanitarian assistance—while spending less on foreign assistance as a proportion of its income than many of its allies. Other donors cannot fill this gap, as neither private philanthropy—whether from foundations, corporations, faith groups, or individuals—nor donor nation has the influence, wealth or prosperity of the United States.  

Approving this rescission package would be a death sentence for thousands in the coming years, with serious consequences for the security and health of Americans. Without this tool, the U.S. government will be limited in its ability to constructively prevent and mitigate crises at a time when global violence is on the rise. And as programs to address humanitarian crises and prevent the spread of violence and disease shutter, the inevitable impact will be a vacuum in leadership that other nations and malign actors will be eager to fill.  

Congress has supported foreign assistance in a bipartisan manner for decades, as most recently seen when members approved funding for foreign assistance just a few months ago in the FY 2025 Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act. 

We strongly urge Congress to protect its constitutional authority and to oppose the rescission of any foreign assistance funds. 

Sincerely, 

Alliance for Peacebuilding 
Alliance of Baptists  
Alliance to End Hunger 
The Alliance for Diplomacy and Justice  
American Friends Service Committee 
American Jewish World Service (AJWS) 
American Public Health Association  
Amnesty International USA 
Anethum Global 
Bread for the World 
Center for Gender & Refugee Studies 
Center for International Policy Advocacy  
Church of the Brethren, Office of Peacebuilding and Policy 
Church World Service 
Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS) 
CODEPINK 
Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces 
Council for Global Equality  
Disabled Children’s Fund 
EngenderHealth  
The Episcopal Church 
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 
Foreign Policy for America 
FP2030  
Franciscan Action Network 
Friends Committee on National Legislation 
Friends of the Earth United States  
Global Health Council 
Global Rights for Women  
Guttmacher Institute 
HIAS 
Hindus for Human Rights  
Hope Border Institute  
Human Rights First 
International Center for Research on Women  
Invisible Children 
J Street 
JAMAAT - Jews and Muslims and Allies Acting Together 
Jewish Earth Alliance- PA 
Journal of Social Encounters  
Justice in Motion 
Latin America Working Group 
Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns  
Mennonite Central Committee U.S. 
Michigan Interfaith Power & Light 
Minnesota Peace Project 
MPower Change Action Fund  
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd 
National Council of Churches 
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice  
Nonviolent Peaceforce 
Oxfam America 
PAI 
PartnersGlobal 
Pax Christi USA 
Peace Direct 
Physicians for Human Rights 
Planned Parenthood Action Fund  
The People’s Justice Council  
Population Connection Action Fund  
Population Council  
Population Institute  
Presbyterian Church (USA), Office of Public Witness 
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights  
Saferworld 
Search for Common Ground 
Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team 
Sojourners 
Together for Girls  
Union for Reform Judaism 
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) 
Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice 
United Church of Christ 
United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) 
The United Methodist Church - General Board of Church and Society 
Washington Office on Latin America 
Win Without War 
Women’s Refugee Commission