The House of Representatives passed its version of the FY 2008 State & Foreign Operations 241-178. Since the Republican leadership urged their caucus to oppose final passage it was more or less a party line vote. Yeas – 210 Ds and 31 Rs. Noes 164 Rs and 14 Ds. The bill represents a 10% increase in funding over last year’s enacted levels. Poverty-focused development assistance received a 2+ billion dollar increase.

The bill highlights remain largely unchanged, see below.

*A major increase for the Development Assistance account for a total of $1.734 billion, which is $692 million above the President’s request. This will fund an initiative on basic education for developing countries as well as an expansion of safe water and environmental programs.
*$750 million for basic education
$300 million for improving access to clean water

Amendments:

*Amendment offered by Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ), the bill adds $50 million for addressing the spread of tuberculosis (TB), bringing to the total for TB up to $313 million.

*Amendment offered by Rep. Tierney (D-MA) — to redirect $75 million in funding for the Economic Support Fund for Pakistan to fund basic education programs in Pakistan passed by voice vote.

*Jackson-Lee amendment to redirect $5m with respect to Child Survival Health funding to build health care capacity – hospital training medical staff was agreed by voice vote.

*Amendment offered by Mr. Blumenauer to shift $50 million from Foreign Military Financing (FMF) for Pakistan to the Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Mr. Obey raised a point of order against the Blumenauer amendment. Mr. Obey stated that the provisions of the Blumenauer amendment violated the Budget Act. EMRA is an emergency account which has ceiling for the amount of funding that can be allocated to this account. This amendment would have exceeded the $100m cap and therefore Obey issued a point of order.

Policy Amendments: There were a few heated ideological debates last night on family planning. The bill faces a veto threat due to the adoption of Rep. Lowey’s amendment to allow family planning organizations which have been denied USAID funding due to the Global Gag Rule to receive contraceptives from USAID. However, it may never get to that point since the bill needs to pass the Senate and the language could be stripped in conference. This made the NYTs: House Reverses Contraceptive-Aid Ban.

* Family planning: Lowey amendment to provide that no contract or grant for the exclusive purpose of providing donated contraceptives in developing countries shall be denied to any NGO solely on the basis of the Mexico City Policy, with respect to providing contraceptives in developing countries, or any comparable administration policy regarding the provision of contraceptives was adopted 223 to 20l.

* Smith/Stupak amendment to strike the Lowey language regarding the Mexico City policy on family planning assistance was defeated 205 to 218.

* HIV/AIDS: Pitts amendment to restore the President’s emergency plan for AIDS relief authorization provision requiring 33% of HIV/AIDS prevention funding to be spent on abstinence and fidelity promotion programs was defeated 200 to 206. (the underlying bill makes the 33% set aside discretionary).

Cutting Amendments:

There were three amendments to substantially cut funding from the SFOPS bill. GOP leadership urged their caucus to support these cutting amendments.

1. Rep. Jeff Jordan (R-OH) attempted to cut the entire $3 billion increase. The failed by a vote of 152-268 .

2. Rep. Musgrave (R-CO) attempted to reduce overall funding for foreign assistance programs through an across the board cut of .5 percent which failed by a vote of 179-241. She offered the same amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill.

3. Rep. Tom Price attempted to reduce the overall appropriations in the bill by $342,430,000 across-the-board – failed 168 – 252

LEG NEWS:

*House Appropriators Find Different Ways to Spread Earmarks Around.

*New UN/WHO Plan Commits $2.5 Billion to Fight Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis

*Drive to curb drug-resistant TB

Governor Huckabee was in Des Moines last Wednesday for his Iowa Headquarters opening.

I was able to ask him about his plan to fight poverty and why I personally feel it is so important. He said poverty was a big issue for him, here and abroad, and it is an issue that needs to be addressed with by next president’s administration.

He thanked me for having such a passion for the issues and said he hoped that others would feel the same.

The ONE Campaign was set up and in action this past weekend at the giant Bonnaroo Music festival outside of Nashville. This was our second year at Bonnaroo, and this time around we found even more support, signing up thousands of new supporters and spreading the word about ONE Vote ‘08’s recent launch.

We were lucky not only to have two great volunteers come out to join us (ONE organizer Kim and her friend Greg) but several awesome ONE supporters were at the show and offered hours of their time to help us out. A big thanks to all who joined us – it was no small feat given the dust and never ending sun!

It was great to talk with so many people from around the country about ONE and almost everyone we talked to was interested in getting involved. This idea of helping out the world’s poorest really resonated with them.

It’s inspiring to see how many people take the message of ONE and run with it – organizing in their communities, schools, and so forth. One my favorite conversations this weekend was with a 7th grader from New Orleans who informed me that he ‘knew all about this stuff’ and had gotten his classmates involved!

Again, a big thanks to everyone that helped us out this weekend – we look forward to hopefully seeing you again this summer!

The 2008 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill passed late last night, 241 to 178!

The increase applies to child and maternal health programs, basic education, global health programs to fight HIV/AIDS and the expansion of clean water programs, among others.

Good news! Rep. Hersarling withdrew his amendment to cut poverty-focused
development assistance from the 2008 State and Foreign Operations
Appropriations bill.

Unfortunately, a few amendments (listed below) are still threatening
this critical bill. While they could still be withdrawn, we can’t take
chances when billions of lifesaving dollars are at stake.

Please call 1-800-786-2663 to tell your representative to vote YES on HR
2764 and to oppose any amendments that cut poverty fighting assistance.

Remaining amendments:

REP. JIM JORDAN, R-Ohio, will offer an amendment (#26) to reduce funding
in the bill by $2.956 billion, bringing the total to the FY 2007 level.

REP. MARILYN MUSGRAVE, R-Colo., will offer an amendment (#8) to make an
across-the-board cut of 0.5% to all funding in the bill.

MR. TOM PRICE, R-Georgia will offer an amendment to make an
across-the-board cut to all funding in the bill.

I have great news for you today. We’ve just received word that Starbucks and Ethiopia have finalized an agreement that ends their trademark dispute and brings both sides together in partnership to help Ethiopian farmers. This agreement has the potential to give these farmers a fair share of the profits for their world-renowned coffees, and it’s what Oxfam has been pushing for since November.

More than 96,000 of our supporters around the world helped make this happen. Your emails, faxes, phone calls, postcards, and even in-person visits to Starbucks added strength to the call of Ethiopian farmers and brought global attention to this issue.

Because of your actions, Ethiopian coffee farmers have chance at a better life. You should feel very proud.

Click here to view a personal Thank You from Oxfam America President Raymond C. Offenheiser and some of the Ethiopian farmers who will benefit from this agreement.

On behalf of Oxfam, and all of the Ethiopian farmers we work with every day, I want to thank you again for being a part of this important victory.

Just now Rep. Payne (D-NJ) just offered an amendment to increase funding
to fight extensively drug resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) – and it
passed.

A recent outbreak of XDR-TB in southern Africa has highlighted the
urgent need for resources to fight this airborne killer, which has been
identified in countries on every continent, including in the United
States.

The amendment will increase funding for the fight against TB by $100
million.

Reps. Pitts amendment to remove language waiving the
abstinence-until-marriage earmark for 2008 within the President’s
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which requires that one-third
of all global HIV prevention funding be spent only on
abstinence-until-marriage programs is currently being debated- should be
lively!

Right now, the House is debating the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, which would increase poverty-focused development assistance in the 2008 budget by a record $2.1 billion.

Please call 1-800-786-2663 to tell your representative to vote YES on HR 2764 and to oppose any amendments that cut poverty fighting assistance.

Below is a list of all the proposed amendments, all of which ONE opposes:

The Amendments by REP. JEB HENSARLING, R-Texas, which cut vital

poverty-focused development assistance for the world’s poor, include:

-An amendment (#19) to reduce funding for the Global HIV/AIDS Initiative

by $1.2 billion, bringing funding to the FY 2007 level.

-An amendment (#21) to reduce funding for the Peace Corps by $14 million,

bringing funding to the FY 2007 level.

-An amendment (#23) to reduce funding for the Millennium Challenge

(for a full list click here? You don’t need to list them all unless you want to)

REP. JIM JORDAN, R-Ohio, will offer an amendment (#26) to reduce funding

in the bill by $2.956 billion, bringing the total to the FY 2007 level.

REP. MARILYN MUSGRAVE, R-Colo., will offer an amendment (#8) to make an

across-the-board cut of 0.5% to all funding in the bill.

REP. ILEANNA ROS-LEHTINEN, R-Fla., will offer an amendment (#9) to

reduce funding for International Organizations by $10.7 million.

MR. TOM PRICE, R-Georgia will offer an amendment to make an across-the-board cutto all funding in the bill.

Hey everyone!

I’m getting ready for Saturday night’s “ONEnow” event at the Carillon United Methodist Church in Oviedo, Florida, (from 6-9pm) when more than 25 non-profit organizations will join together under the 15,000 sq. ft. EPIcenter facility to provide information and encourage volunteer initiatives in the community.

The evening will conclude with a concert by LA’s singer-songwriter Leland Grant, followed by the first proclamation of a “Church of ONE.”

ONE will be working with the HOPE Foundation (an organization formed to help alleviate poverty locally), and 105.9 O-Rock Radio. We’ll also be joined by ONE partners and friends from Heifer International, RESULTS and Church World Service. I’ll send an update next week along with photos! See www.onenowevent.com for more info.

Today, Leland Grant is showing his support for the fight against extreme poverty by sharing his song “Lines In The Sand” with ONE members. Listen to “Lines In The Sand” and all our ONE music on the ONEcast.

Below, a note from Leland:

For the past couple years I have been playing music trying to push my career as an artist trying to sell records and get people out to my shows. For the past few months I have been focusing my efforts on making music for more selfless reasons which has had a deeper intangible reward that is very refreshing.

I’m really looking forward to playing for the ONE Campaign coming up in Florida and hopefully more ONE Campaign events to come.

-Leland Grant
http://www.lelandgrant.com