Baldwin, Colleagues Urge Inclusion of Full Humanitarian Assistance in Supplemental Funding Package

Letter

Dear Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, Chair Murray, and Vice Chair
Collins:

We urge you to ensure that the final package for the national security supplemental
includes the full $10 billion in humanitarian assistance requested by the President, including for
refugee and emergency food aid. This funding would roughly match U.S. emergency spending
on humanitarian assistance appropriated since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in
February 2022, and would come at a time when global needs are only rising. Beyond the moral
significance of continuing our country's tradition as the world's leader in delivering life-saving
humanitarian aid, this assistance promotes global stability and security by helping manage and
provide for displaced populations, preventing recruitment to extremism, and mitigating economic
pressure on partner governments.

Without these funds, global efforts led by the United States to address ongoing and
expanded crises in Sudan, Nagorno-Karabakh, Burma, Syria, and other humanitarian responses
will suffer reductions in support. This would directly threaten U.S. national security and the
security of our partners.

If these funds are not included, U.S. assistance for displaced Ukrainians could be reduced
by as much as 75 percent. As you know, Ukrainians have valiantly fought against Vladimir
Putin's unjust and unprovoked invasion of their country. To sustain their heroic struggle,
Ukrainians not only need weapons and ammunition, but also basic humanitarian support for the
families and communities they are fighting to defend. An estimated 16 million people in Ukraine
and more than 6.3 million Ukrainian refugees in the region rely on humanitarian assistance.1
While other donors have provided the majority of total humanitarian and economic assistance
that has been delivered to Ukraine (roughly double U.S. support), U.S. leadership has been
critical in this effort. We must continue to lead the way in ensuring aid reaches sick, wounded,
and displaced Ukrainians suffering as a result of Putin's brutality.

1 OMB, President's request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 emergency supplemental funding, (October 20, 2023), https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Letter-regarding-critical-national-security-funding-needsfor-FY-2024.pdf

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As supporters of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, we believe Israel has the right and
obligation to defend itself against Hamas -- a terrorist organization whose horrific attacks on
October 7 and long history of violence against Israelis and Palestinians make clear its total
disregard for innocent human life. We also know from our country's own experiences that
protecting civilians and ensuring access to desperately needed food, water, medical care, and
shelter for innocent civilians caught in the middle of conflict is critical for strategic success.
Preventing Hamas from ever again threatening Israeli lives does not depend solely on Israel's
ability to degrade Hamas militarily. It also requires giving Palestinians hope for a better future,
starting with making sure that humanitarian aid continuously reaches vulnerable civilians in
Gaza. This is why the United States and our implementing partners, working closely with the
Israeli government, undertake extensive oversight procedures so that U.S. assistance flows only
to its intended recipients.

The ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East have impacts beyond their borders.
The proliferation of global crises is putting pressure on millions of innocent civilians who are
bearing the brunt of the fighting, and key U.S. partners, including in Europe and the Middle East,
continue to grapple with how to manage the outbreak of violence in their regions. These realities
underscore the importance of the United States maintaining its indispensable leadership role in
support of assistance that effectively responds to dire humanitarian needs and prevents further
instability.

We thank you for your consideration of this important request.

Sincerely,

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