On Wednesday, President Barack Obama delivered his second State of the Union speech, a major opportunity to reflect on his first full year in office and address the historic challenges facing our country. While the president’s agenda is full, most urgently with the ongoing rescue efforts in Haiti, I hope Obama will take the time to reaffirm his vision of America’s strength and place in the world in the upcoming year.

In this current political and economic environment, perhaps no group of people are suffering more, and with less notice, than those who live in extreme poverty and in regions where preventable diseases like AIDS and malaria are rampant.

It is therefore imperative that Congress pledge to meet Obama’s request for the international affairs account in full for the 2011 budget. These are the kind of foreign policy investments with multiple benefits and a record of proven success that we need in these difficult and uncertain times, and I hope our representatives will support them.

As a member of the advocacy group ONE, I urge the president and Congress to support America’s proven and cost-effective efforts that are saving millions of lives from diseases like AIDS and malaria worldwide and combating extreme poverty and global hunger.

John Teter, junior in psychology.