the government of somalia has announced its intent to step up the fight against el shabaab. the united states has and will continue to aid those efforts, as will the african union mission in somalia, a multinational peacekeeping force that is supported by the united states. at the same time we have to erode and eliminate the conditions that enable terrorist groups to thrive. that means redoubling our efforts to help stabilize fragile nations. that means supporting good governance, reducing extreme inequality and help marginalize disenfranchised individuals who are preyed upon time and again by terrorist recruiters. mr. president, it's more important than ever that we fully fund our international programs that support these efforts, both for humanitarian and for security reasons. unfortunately, the administration's 2018 budget proposal does the opposite. it includes a 30% cut to programs that seek to bring stability, rule of law, and humanitarian assistance to places that need it the most. the administration's budget is making the world and us less safe. and i want to urge th