The provided text argues that foreign assistance, particularly through USAID, is not merely charity but a crucial investment in global and U.S. security. It explains that USAID acts as an instrument of "soft power," funding international health, education, economic stability, and emergency aid, which helps strengthen struggling nations and prevent crises from escalating. The author stresses that attempts to reduce USAID funding would create dangerous power vacuums, fostering extremism, corruption, and instability that inevitably impact the United States through disease outbreaks, mass migration, and terrorism. Furthermore, diminished U.S. engagement allows rival powers like China and Russia to gain global influence, underscoring that foreign assistance is a proactive and cost-effective strategy to safeguard national interests and promote a more stable world.