Unlike many senators and representatives, Susan Collins understands the connection between global poverty and U.S. jobs.

Foreign aid is not a gift, but rather an investment. Since World War II all the money given to other countries to aid in their development has been more than repaid in our exports to those countries.

For example, we invested one billion into Taiwan’s economy in the 1960’s and now we make $30.2 billion each year in exports to Taiwan. As a country’s economy is able to develop, the people there go from only being able to buy necessities to being able to afford U.S. products.

Only five percent of consumers live in the U.S. and over half of our exports go to developing countries so it is integral to the protection of U.S. jobs that we use foreign aid as a tool to stimulate economic growth in other countries.

Elissa DeTellis
Portland