Federal programs are in Jeopardy, and people will suffer and die.

Too often, global moments are measured by lives lost — conflicts, pandemics, natural disasters. The creation of effective, accountable, and life-saving programs like PEPFAR, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance ushered in an era that could be measured by lives saved – lives that have now been abruptly sidelined in the name of cutting a mere fraction (0.5%) of the budget.

The White House’s full budget request for FY2026 proposes excessive cuts to US foreign assistance that would threaten America’s national interests and international leadership. A subsequent attempt, via rescissions, to claw back previously appropriated funding for life-saving health programs and development initiatives would make matters worse.

Take, for example, US investments in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief – PEPFAR – has helped save 26 million lives since its founding in 2003. It’s a remarkable achievement, yes, but we shouldn’t reduce these lives to a mere, albeit impressive, statistic. These are children who get to grow up healthy, and parents who get to watch them do so.

The White House’s proposed rescissions package would reduce them even further – to 11 vague sentences that seek, without justification, to cut nearly $1B from health and infectious disease funding. When lives hang in the balance, Congress — and the American people — need real details. That’s why we must urge U.S. Sens. Peter Welch and Bernie Sanders, and U.S. Rep. Becca Balint and their fellow members of Congress, to reject rushed attempts to override their previous decisions and to continue supporting smart, effective international assistance programs.

And one more thing; these programs promote peace and security around the world and actually benefit us here at home.

Richard Butz

Bristol