To the editor:

I take this opportunity to share with you a message from the Catholic Relief Services and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (edited for brevity).

On Aug. 29, the administration proposed rescinding an additional $4.9 billion in international assistance, including $3.2 billion in development assistance which support critical programs for food, clean water for families and to help victims of human trafficking. If these funds are cut, it would make it harder for the United States government to help people in need and support safer, healthier communities around the world.

At the same time, Congress is still considering support for international humanitarian aid in the fiscal year 2026 federal budget. Are your congressional representatives responding to the needs of our global family experiencing poverty and injustice? Will you encourage Congress to meet the needs of our global family experiencing poverty and injustice?

I would add that national financial and manpower support has been drastically cut for the same needs: food, clean water and human trafficking. Are your congressional representatives responding to the needs of our national, state and local families experiencing poverty and injustice? Will you encourage Congress to meet the needs of our national, state and local families experiencing poverty and injustice?

Cutting fraud, waste and abuse is a fine tag line. However, when the United States doesn’t follow thorough on properly allocated international humanitarian aid, only to spend 1 million dollars a day to deploy National Guard troops, something doesn’t add up. Likewise, accepting the gift of an airplane that needs up to $1 billion to retrofit it with the necessary security and communications equipment for presidential use with the plan to “give” this plane to the current president’s future Presidential Library, something doesn’t add up.

Contact your Congressional representative. Ask them to meet the needs of our global, national, state and local families experiencing poverty and injustice. Call them out on decisions that contradict your values.

Beth Zabel

New Ulm