WASHINGTON, D.C. — Faith leaders from across the country are urging Congress to maintain their support for international aid even as the coronavirus is putting an unprecedented strain on the American economy.

Pastor Griff Ray leads the Crossroads Church in Georgetown, Kentucky. He says though Congress is responding to COVID-19 at home, lawmakers should also be mindful of how the pandemic is impacting developing nations.

"The basic message of Jesus is love God and love your neighbor and so if we are loving ourselves right now but we are not loving our neighbor in the same way in doing something to impact them, really morally our obligation as a very blessed nation, we've fallen really short," said Ray.

He signed onto a letter with dozens of other faith leaders across the country to the Senate as part of the ONE Campaign. The ONE Campaign lobbies Congress to support programs that fight extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa.

Stopping short of requesting a specific amount of money, the group is calling for a multi-billion-dollar global pandemic response to be included in the next coronavirus emergency supplemental package. 

The money would go towards Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, a program that immunizes children in the world’s poorest countries. They are also calling for support for the Global Fund that combats AIDS, TB, and malaria.

"I'm not even saying it should be the same response for what we are doing here but to not do something significant is to be shortsighted and ignorant of the impact, not just on them but on us as a country if we don't act," said Ray.

In June, the U.S. committed $1.16 billion over four years to Gavi as part of replenishment through the United States Agency for International Development but Ray says that won't be enough with consideration to the virus.

When asked if there was any appetite for increased international aid relief in the next coronavirus bill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office had no comment.