OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027

Floor Speech

Date: July 15, 2026
Location: Washington, DC

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Mr. WALKINSHAW. Mr. Chairman, America's strength in the world has never been that we are perfect. It is that, unlike our adversaries, we have consistently aspired to lead by example and with our values.

Building the capacity of a local community abroad to combat deadly diseases like malaria, Ebola, tuberculosis, and HIV is not just the right and just thing to do. It serves American interests. Disease outbreaks do not respect borders, and investments in global health protect Americans at home.

That is why the dismantling of USAID is so dangerous. USAID isn't a charity. It was boots on the ground, a force multiplier for the CDC and our broader national security efforts.

Let's be honest. Slashing foreign aid will not balance the Federal budget. Anyone with a calculator knows you are not going to address the skyrocketing deficit by cutting programs that amount to a rounding error in Federal spending. This is about American values and American security.

Mr. Chairman, that is why I cannot support this bill. It ignores the reality of what has already been lost.

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