GAA Responds to President Obama’s State of the Union Address
We are all invested in America's success in meeting the challenges President Obama described, and as Americans we must also remain committed to justice for the entire world. This was the first President's annual address in five years to omit mention of America's global AIDS programs, the most successful foreign aid efforts in 50 years. President Obama's first budget is a critical opportunity to reposition the United States' place in the world with a stimulus package for soft power as part of his detailed budget proposal.
America's global AIDS and health programs and aid to education reposition our place in the world, make societies more stable, save hundreds of thousands of lives, and showcase our values better than almost anything else. Failing to expand these programs would send a signal to the poorest nations that the US may not keep its commitments to them and to other donors thinking of doing the same.