John F. Kennedy on Foreign aid
← Back to John F. Kennedy ProfileSpeaking to a Protestant council in 1963, President Kennedy questioned America's priorities, contrasting foreign aid spending with frivolous consumer expenses.
βIs this Nation stating it cannot afford to spend an additional $600 million to help the developing nations of the world become strong and free and independentβan amount less than this country's annual outlay for lipstick, face cream, and chewing gum?β
βOur foreign aid program is not growing in size, it is, on the contrary, smaller now than in previous years. It has had its weaknesses, but we have undertaken to correct them. And the proper way of treating weaknesses is to replace them with strength, not to increase those weaknesses by emasculating essential programs. Dollar for dollar, in or out of government, there is no better form of investment in our national security than our much-abused foreign aid program.β