Around the world, 736 million people live in extreme poverty, making less than $1.90 per day. That is 736 million human beings without access to the necessities of life that are so often taken for granted. Foreign aid is the key to eradicating extreme poverty, and as one of the world’s most powerful nations, the United States can and should be doing more.

On average, people guess about 25% of the federal budget goes to foreign aid and would like to see it reduced to 10%. In reality, it is less than 1%.

One common rebuttal to this argument is that America has enough problems to deal with domestically to be thinking about other countries. To that I would say that domestic and international affairs are not competing interests.

As people are lifted out of poverty, they create new markets for American businesses to enter. India, a country that formerly received aid from the U.S., is now one of our top trade partners. Foreign aid also allows us to improve diplomatic relations and create more allies around the world.

As JFK once said, “a rising tide lifts all boats,” and as poverty rates drop, the tide rises.

Colby Camardese

Crescent

The writer is a Borgen Project ambassador.

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