In the weeks following Marty Rochester’s commentary, “Foreign policy seems foreign to 2020 presidential campaign” (May 7, 2020), the worrying truth behind his observations was revealed even more clearly.

The House of Representatives just passed a phase-four coronavirus bill that includes absolutely no money for international cooperation, despite bipartisan support for global health. This puzzling move leaves Gavi the Vaccine Alliance, which vaccinates half the world’s children, in the dust. 

A global pandemic surely deserves a global response. Not only is international cooperation the fastest, most effective way to get things back to “normal,” but it would be wrong of us to turn our backs on billions of people who are struggling. 

It’s the Senate’s time to shine. I urge Senators Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley to support an emergency international relief package of at least $12 billion, to save lives around the world.

Yara Changyit-Levin, Town and Country