The Basic Education Coalition is deeply grateful to Congresswoman Meng and her staff for their continued support of development assistance, particularly international basic education. Her remarks at last week’s Markup of FY26 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Bill highlighted the importance of these programs, and warned against the real ramifications of cuts to foreign aid.
“Last week, Republicans passed another ugly bill, clawing back funding both parties agreed to just earlier this year for programs that have been bi-partisan for decades.
That legislation will force 40 million children worldwide out of school, creating new recruitment prospects for terrorist organizations, and hurting opportunities for millions of girls.
…For months Republicans made a big fuss, saying USAID went rogue - that unelected bureaucrats were subverting the will of the American people. Then they turn right around, close their eyes, and give radical Russ Vought, an unelected bureaucrat, the keys to the diplomacy and development car to drive straight off of a cliff, even though they just bought it from the dealership a few months ago.
Now this week we have this bill, which will cut our 2026 national security budget by 22% from last year’s levels, which were already 20 billion below the levels of the year before. This is not America first - it’s America alone. A full retreat from the world that will lead to more war, more disease, and more migration, paving the way for our adversaries to fill the void we’ve left.
…It cuts 20% from efforts to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. It cuts humanitarian assistance by over 42%. It cuts hundreds of millions of dollars from international basic education programs, which have supported 34 million learners [annually], and trained 3 million teachers…I want to share just one story about the impact of these cuts. In Nepal, 12 year old Ratika was attending school in a US-funded program and was months away from graduating before her classes shut down due to the funding loss. After the funding was pulled, she said, ‘I was learning new things every day and I was excited about going to school again, but now I feel lost. I am scared that, without the classes, I will not be able to continue my education and might be forced to get married soon.’
Her and millions of other children saw the united states as their salvation. Now they know us as the country that took their future away. These cuts are bad enough but, more than that, this bill just doesn’t make any sense - it’s a mirage. Republicans seem to want credit for providing more funding than the president asked for but at least 83% of the programs funded by this bill have been canceled by unelected billion Elon Musk and DOGE.
Over 11,000 employees working for USAID and the State Department have been fired, including my constituents. They were the people who made American power possible. The bill cuts $23 million from the Office of Inspector General to oversea foreign assistance, even though our colleagues have spent the last seven months saying we need more oversight of our foreign aid.
These cuts hurt. And this bill just shows how backwards my colleagues have it. Foreign aid isn’t a corrupt bargain, it’s not a handout, and it’s not waste, fraud, and abuse. It’s a vehicle for American ingenuity, generosity, and security. It’s American workers making food products that have saved the lives of over $5 million malnourished children. It’s American farmers, including New Yorkers, creating more resilient crops that help lower prices for American consumers. Our scientists, our peace corps volunteers, our foreign service officers.
A vote for this bill isn’t just a vote to make our world less safe. it’s a vote to limit our country’s reach and potential. Full retreat, America alone. I urge you to join me in voting ‘no’. “
BEC encourages Congress to act with these remarks in mind when appropriating funds for Fiscal Year 2026.