Congressman Duncan's Response to Protecting Foreign Aid

Dear Ms. Voorhees:

 Thank you for contacting me about foreign aid. I always appreciate hearing from those whom I represent in the Congress. I agree with you about helping the world's less fortunate. I read recently that half the world's people live on less than $2.00 a day; it is a life most people in East Tennessee cannot imagine, and we are blessed beyond belief to live in the United States. As a Country with so much, it is our moral obligation to help those in need. The United States is already the largest contributor of foreign aid and supporter of the United Nations in the world by far. We not only give mega billions every year to other countries through our tax dollars, but many Americans also selflessly give from their own pockets to charities. I believe we must continue to help people in other countries in a way that is responsible to our own citizens. Our economy is seeing hard times, and in the coming years our Nation will be forced to make some tough decisions. We are more than $16 trillion in debt (roughly $140,000 for every taxpayer) right now, with near trillion-dollar annual deficits expected for the next several years. If you factor in future unfunded programs like Social Security and Medicare, our National debt soars to more than $70 trillion. That figure is dangerous and staggering, and Congress can no longer continue to spend without restraint. Although there will have to be spending reductions in the coming years to account for this massive debt, we must still remember our moral obligation to the world's poor and help out during humanitarian crises. At the same time, we must also remember that the United States cannot solve all the World's problems on its own. Foreign policy columnist Georgie Anne Geyer said it best a few months after the Iraqi war started many years ago that "Americans will inevitably come to a point where they have to choose between a government that provides services at home or one that seeks empire across the globe." I will be carefully monitoring any effort by Congress to address foreign aid. I appreciate your thoughts on the matter and will certainly keep them in mind if and when the issue comes to the Floor of the House of Representatives. Once again, thank you for contacting me about this important issue. If there is any other way I can be of assistance to you, your friends or family in the future, please do not hesitate to let me know.

 With kindest regards,

I am Yours truly,

 JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR. Member of Congress