Letter of the day: Even during budget crunch, maintain international aid

As a mom with two kids and a shoestring budget, I understand how difficult choices on cutting from budgets are countered by the responsibility of not shortchanging my children's future. As a grass-roots member of ONE, an organization working against global poverty and disease, I've also been watching the U.S. budget. I am pleased to hear that Minnesota Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken have added their names to a Senate letter in support of efforts to maintain an effective and responsible international affairs budget. While it sounds lavish for our country's current financial situation, the truth is that it makes up less than 1.4 percent of the whole budget. With these modest funds allocated toward proven humanitarian and development efforts, the results yielded have been well-invested; more than 3 million Africans are on AIDS treatment, deaths from malaria have been cut in half in several countries, and tens of millions more children are going to school. These smart investments not only save lives, but also secure our homeland and develop America's global leadership. This portion of the budget is a rare Washington combination of being affordable, bipartisan, critical and highly effective. ROCHELLE GIBBS, BLOOMINGTON