If I said to you “foreign aid benefits Montanans,” you would probably think I’m crazy. Investing abroad at first glance doesn’t seem like it would benefit Montana. However, it is on the contrary. Providing foreign aid fosters positive foreign relations and promotes trade with emerging markets. Montana relies on exports as well as foreign offices to keep our economy thriving. For example, one of Montana’s largest companies is RightNow Technologies, a customer relationship management software company. It was founded in Bozeman by our very own Rep. Greg Gianforte, with offices not only all over the U.S., but in Europe, Australia, and Asia.
As COVID-19 hits these markets, it also packs a punch at home. When foreign economies are tanking while wrestling with the pandemic, we’re hit too. That is why I’m urging Gianforte to co-sponsor the Global Health Security Act, a bipartisan bill that increases the U.S. government’s efforts to support epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevent threats of infectious disease outbreaks. Remember: safety abroad means safety at home.
Rachel Jakovac
Bigfork