This is a guest opinion column

The United States is fighting battles on multiple fronts.

To the south, criminal gangs and drug cartels threaten the integrity of our borders. They flood American towns and streets with illicit drugs and fentanyl that kill thousands of Americans every single year. They traffic vulnerable children across the border, separating them from their families and homes.

Across the Pacific, China has undertaken a global campaign for influence and domination. They are pouring money into strategic countries to purchase influence and gain economic strongholds abroad. They are edging the United States out of important markets in an effort to squash U.S. competition and run the rules of the global economy.

The success of our rivals means weaker borders, dwindling alliances and fewer opportunities for American workers and companies. We cannot afford to fall behind. As it stands now, America has a choice: step up or lose ground to our adversaries. That choice will determine whether the United States continues to dominate the global economy.

These battles for economic and national security cannot be fought through one method alone. We must throw everything we have at those threatening to supersede our influence. That includes military force and economic policy. It also includes high-impact, precise international assistance.

Much of the recent conversation about foreign aid has been dominated by the ways in which aid programs have failed to advance modern American interests. This is understandable–like many government programs, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) became bogged down with misused funds, unnecessary bureaucratic agendas, and wasteful programs.

President Trump is right to examine these programs and get rid of the ones that are no longer serving Americans. However, we must not forget the ways in which international assistance can successfully support American goals.

From my time in Congress to now leading the Mobile Chamber, I have seen how important global trade and relationships are for American jobs and businesses.

For example, last year Alabama exported $26.8 billion of goods to the world, accounting for almost 10 percent of our state’s GDP. These exports support roughly 90,000 in-state jobs, according to the most recent data.

Providing international assistance to strategic partners and allies opens doors for American businesses to export their goods and form trade relationships that benefit American workers.

When we have a strong international economic presence, we get to be in the driver’s seat of the global economy. In this position, we can help American companies find new markets for their goods and better shield American businesses from global financial shocks that raise the prices of commodities like gas and groceries. We can make sure our trade relationships put America First, not the other way around, and strengthen our competitive edge against China.

The benefits of targeted international assistance do not stop there. With smart foreign aid dollars, we can train law enforcement officials in the countries where drug cartels and international crime originate. We can stop the flow of dangerous substances before they reach America.

This is how we position ourselves to confront our rivals who are plotting their rise at the expense of America. This is how we secure the future of American economic dominance.

The new administration is remodeling our international assistance system. They can get rid of fraud, waste, and abuse, while also preserving and improving the programs that directly benefit American economic might and national security.

As we plot our course to defeat our adversaries and strengthen our global power in the 21st century, we must use every tool at our disposal to protect American interests. That includes well-planned international assistance. Done right, international assistance will help us maintain an international order that serves Americans for years to come.

Bradley Byrne is the president and CEO of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce and served as the U.S. Representative for Alabama’s 1st congressional district from 2014 to 2021.