Appropriated funds to support people in need around the world could be rescinded by Congress.
President Trump has sent a request to rescind more than $8 billion in U.S. foreign assistance funds that Congress had recently appropriated to support people in need around the world. The request seeks to further cut funding for critical humanitarian aid and global health programs such as U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), an effective U.S. government HIV/AIDS program that has provided medicines and care to 25 million people living with the condition. .
If approved by Congress, the president’s rescissions request will codify his administration’s extensive cuts to programs that have sustained and saved millions of lives for decades. The result will be increased rates of preventable deaths, global poverty, the spread of infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance, and more instability and violence. U.S. foreign aid takes up less than one percent of our budget but saves millions of lives in poor countries.
Christian guidance in Lutheran social teaching emphasizes we are called “to serve others and to walk with people who are hungry, forgotten, oppressed, and despised” (ELCA social statement The Church in Society: A Lutheran Perspective, p. 4). We exemplify God’s love when we serve our neighbors and advocate for the wellbeing of all, especially those on the margins of society.
Email your members of Congress and ask them to reject President Trump’s request to rescind $8.3 billion in foreign aid. These funds should be spent on the life-saving programs for which they are intended. Customize your message in your words and reflections. Thank you for your advocacy.
[Posted: 6/10/2025]
