As the November midterm elections approach, there are many issues on Iowans’ minds this year, inflation and abortion to name a few. Iowans and the rest of Americans are deeply divided, but there is an issue that both Republicans and Democrats can agree upon: fighting global poverty.

736 million people are in extreme poverty and one in nine people are worldwide. The United States has the political and economic power to downsize global poverty, hunger, and infectious diseases. But we are failing to fulfill our potential. Less than one percent of the U.S. federal budget goes toward international aid, despite increased foreign aid being directly correlated with improved national security, decreased birth rates (beneficial to the planet), growth in the domestic economy and job market, and improved international relations. Plus, supporting poverty-reduction legislation is just the right thing to do.

Both Democrats and Republicans on the ballot have supported anti-poverty legislation in the U.S. Congress. Representative Axne voted in support of the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act and cosponsored the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act and the Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act. Senator Ernst cosponsored the Girls Lead Act and Senator Grassley cosponsored the Reach Every Mother and Child Act.

Anti-poverty legislation serves as an opportunity for reconciliation between Democrats and Republicans in a polarized, political world. Encourage whoever you vote for to keep global poverty in mind because it will benefit Iowans through an improved economy and national security. I urge Senators Grassley and Ernst, and Representative Axne to increase the International Affairs Budget by no less than 17% of FY23.

The Borgen Project is a national campaign working to downsize global poverty through U.S. foreign policy. Our main points of advocacy include starvation/global food security, child and motherhood survival, access to clean water, and food aid reform. All of this information can be confirmed on the Borgen Project website, www.borgenproject.org.

Mary Kate Gruening graduated from Marshalltown High School in 2021 and is now majoring in Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies and Women’s Studies at DePaul University in Chicago.