USAID helps NC in several important ways. We can’t let that be ruined | Opinion

Foreign aid is a concept that can feel far away, in other countries, for other people. But the recent unprecedented halt in U.S. foreign aid support will hurt North Carolina.

The White House in an executive order decided to shutter the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The decision to fire most staff, physically dismantle the office and give an unvetted team access to private agency data is extraordinary. It is also a violation of U.S. laws because only the legislature has the power to disband federal agencies.

This may feel like a topic that belongs in Washington D.C., but USAID is an economic engine for our state.

As the fourth highest state recipient of USAID funding, if the agency disappears, we can expect North Carolina farmers, local businesses and thousands of jobs to suffer. Already, we are seeing this take place across our state.

North Carolina agriculture grows from foreign aid.

Each year, USAID invests $194 million in our state economy, which is used in part to purchase food from North Carolina farmers.

USAID buys nearly $2 billion in U.S. crops every year to feed people during crises through targeted efforts like the federal Food for Peace program. This investment provides humanitarian relief overseas and supports a stable market for farmers at home. When our North Carolina farmers lose a guaranteed buyer, it’s harder to stay afloat. Fewer contracts for food aid mean lower incomes and harder decisions for farm families.

North Carolina is a global health powerhouse.

Our state is home to more than 900 organizations working in international health and development — nonprofits, research institutions, biotech firms and agricultural partners based in every corner of our state. These organizations support over 170,000 jobs in our state and generate more than $31 billion for our economy each year.

North Carolina researchers, medical professionals and scientists lead the charge in global health breakthroughs. A pause in USAID funding puts these programs at risk, forcing teams to halt research, cut staff and many may soon fold altogether.

We are safer at home when we improve health abroad.

We learned the hard way with COVID-19 that diseases don’t respect borders. The same programs that fight outbreaks like Ebola overseas also protect us here in North Carolina. Without global investments in tracking and stopping disease, the next pandemic could spread faster and hit harder.

For example, the Demographic Health Surveys program, run in collaboration with North Carolina researchers, are the best way to assess country-level indicators of essential health outcomes like keeping mothers and infants alive through pregnancy and childbirth. The program is now on pause because of the White House’s USAID decision.

Ending USAID also means a global power vacuum since it represents one of the single best uses of U.S. “soft power” in the last century. Global health experts across the country are sounding the alarm that surrendering U.S. influence in global health is a risk to national security.

North Carolinian values are the same values that drive American foreign aid.

I moved to North Carolina eight years ago and find it to be one of the most generous places I have ever known. North Carolinians show up for their neighbors — whether after a hurricane, during a tough season for farmers or when a local family is in need. We help because that’s who we are.

That commitment is being abandoned. Across the world, families who rely on U.S. food assistance are seeing supplies dwindle. Health clinics that count on American support to pay for staff and provide medicines are shutting their doors. This is not the North Carolina I know. The North Carolina I know and love shows up when it counts.

Decisions about foreign aid are made in Washington, but the impact is felt right here in North Carolina. Our voices matter now more than ever.

We need our state leaders to fight for the restoration of foreign aid. Call Sen. Thom Tillis (202-224-6342) or Sen. Ted Budd (202-224-3154). Their staffs report each day on the calls they receive from constituents. Tell them why North Carolina’s jobs, economy and values depend on USAID being reinstated.

Make no mistake, foreign aid is not charity. It’s a strategic investment in our national security and a key driver of economic opportunity right here in North Carolina.

USAID shuttering is a North Carolina problem.

This story was originally published February 13, 2025 at 5:00 AM.