Huge Win!
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Just moments ago, at 1 am, Senators Biden and Lugar won an amendment on the Senate floor to restore $4.1b to the International Affairs budget. Over the course of the day, ONE members helped bring 34 cosponsors to the amendment. It was a great collaborative effort with InterAction and US Global Leadership Campaign, as well as over 75,000 members who signed the petition and made well over 3,500 calls to their Senators’ over the last two days.
The final vote was 73-23. In our favor!
As background, President Bush requested a $3.1b increase to this part of the budget. The House Budget committee gave a $1.5b increase ($1.6 below the President). The Senate Budget Committee cut $4.1b…cutting all of President Bush’s requested increase, PLUS $1b from current spending.
At first, we thought we could only get support for a floor amendment for $2.6b, which would bring the Senate level up to the House. We lined up Senate sponsors, worked with ONE members and partners, and coordinated media outreach. Then in a late night push, Senators Biden and Lugar stepped up to offer an amendment that restored this account to the President’s level…a $4.1b amendment. This was twice the size of any amendment we’ve ever won. All our champions from the earlier amendment moved to support this and we thank every Senator that put their support behind the final, new amendment.
Make no mistake, this is an amazing victory that will translate to millions of lives saved.
It’s late, I’m tired and I’m going to bed — but I know I’ll sleep well. For tonight at least, good night and thank you.
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The ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, with frequent contributions from volunteers, members and partner organizations.
The ONE Blog updates readers daily with the latest in global development news and analysis and what ONE members and our partners are doing around the world to influence world leaders in the fight against global poverty.
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March 14, 2008 at 1:00 am
Congratulations to all who called and emailed your senators. I was a rookie- ,my first time to email my senators and watched CSPAN2 until the wee hours and was overjoyed! Rest up for the next fight for ending global poverty and a chance to support our brothers and sisters around the world!
March 14, 2008 at 4:19 am
Very Impressive indeed. ONE has come a very long way in the past couple of years. These types of truly tangible results from our efforts are highly motivating and deeply gratifying.
Thank you for all that you do.
March 14, 2008 at 7:03 am
I must agree with Carol - ONE has come a long way in the last few years. The passage of the Biden-Lugar Amendment truly is a remarkable thing and shows the POWER OF ONE as a social advocacy group.
John was correct when he said: “Make no mistake, this is an amazing victory that will translate to millions of lives saved.” That is true.
Let us always remember, though, that every person in ONE understands the fact that, in this present day reality, groups like ONE have to exist to level the “playing field” in society so that others from around the world who have been historically kept back from the fruits of modern society are able to step right up to the table and eat for themselves.
My happiest day will be when every social advocacy group & ngo no longer exists because the world will truly be AS ONE - with freedom & justice for all.
Until then, I will stay with ONE, as I have from the start of ONE in May 2004, to speed up that day.~
Have a beautiful day, my friends. Please don’t let it get away!
ALWAYS FOREVER, ONE - debbie
March 14, 2008 at 11:25 am
Watching CSPAN has never been so exciting. The media watchers at Nielsen Ratings are probably wondering what spurred the sudden interest in senate voting!
Many of us did just a few small things; make a couple phone calls, send an email, tell a friend to join up and get busy - and look what happens.
We are ONE. People are listening. Let’s keeping rolling. The world will be ONE and we can make it happen.