Media CenterCRS Applauds Senate Foreign Aid Bill, Yet Concerns Grow Over Insufficient Climate Financing and Proposed Cuts to Development

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Nikki Gamer
Catholic Relief Services
[email protected]
(978) 884-0003

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, Aug. 4, 2023 – Bill O’Keefe, executive vice president of Mission, Mobilization and Advocacy at Catholic Relief Services (CRS), issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee’s FY24 foreign aid spending bill.

“We are pleased to see that even in a tough fiscal environment, the Senate’s latest foreign aid bill for fiscal year 2024 maintains support for vital global public health initiatives while significantly boosting humanitarian aid for those in need. These funds will be critical to saving tens of millions of lives, especially amid ongoing conflicts, climate change and growing hunger.

We are worried, however, about the bill’s proposal to cut foreign aid spending for development programming. Such plans are shortsighted and will undercut years of progress in our fight against global poverty.

We are also greatly concerned by the overall lack of international financing for programs that address the climate crisis. The U.S. needs to do far more to carry its equitable share of the climate change burden – especially as one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases on the planet. During a recent public address, the Holy Father aptly called climate change an ‘urgent challenge,’ saying ‘It cannot be postponed, it concerns everyone.’ He then called on world leaders to ‘protect our common home.’ We could not agree more.

As we approach the end of the fiscal year, we are eager to work with Congress to make sure more people across the world can survive and thrive amid such complex global challenges.”

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Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The agency alleviates suffering and provides assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS’ relief and development work is accomplished through programs of emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance and peacebuilding. For more information, visit www.crs.org or www.crsespanol.org and follow Catholic Relief Services on social media in English at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube; and in Spanish at: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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