The list of senators sponsoring the Biden-Lugar Amendment continues to grow. See the latest list below.

We expect the Senate to vote on the legislation, which would restore $4.1 billion for the international affairs budget, today or tomorrow.

If you don’t see both of your state’s senators below then, call them – at 202-224-3121 – now.

Sen. Biden (D – DE)
Sen. Bond (R – MO)
Sen. Brown (D – OH)
Sen. Burr (R – NC)
Sen. Cantwell (D – WA)
Sen. Coleman (R – MN)
Sen. Collins (R – ME)
Sen. Corker (R – TN)
Sen. Dodd (D – CT)
Sen. Dole (R – NC)
Sen. Durbin (D – IL)
Sen. Feinstein (D – CA)
Sen. Hagel (R – NE)
Sen. Isakson (R – GA)
Sen. Kerry (D – MA)
Sen. Leahy (D – VT)
Sen. Levin (D – MI)
Sen. Lugar (R- IN)
Sen. Martinez (R – FL)
Sen. Menendez (D – NJ)
Sen. Obama (D – IL)
Sen. Smith (R – OR)
Sen. Snowe (R – ME)
Sen. Sununu (R – NH)
Sen. Voinovich (R – OH)

Some excerpts from Senator Biden’s remarks this afternoon as he introduced the Biden-Lugar Amendment. Check here for updates on the senators signed on so far.

“Mr. President, I have an amendment I would like to offer at this time for myself and Senator Lugar. We are joined by Senators Durbin, Smith, Dodd, Sununu, Menendez, Martinez, Kerry, Snowe, Levin, Collins, Obama, Voinovich, Leahy, Corker, and Hagel. Our amendment builds on similar work done by Senator Feinstein – we all share the same goals.

Mr. President, my amendment restores the full amount of the President’s request – $39. 5 billion – to the international affairs budget.

Last week two distinguish former senior military officers, General Anthony Zinni and Admiral Leighton Smith, came before the Foreign Relations Committee to tell us that we must reorder our nation’s priorities to protect our national security.

With more than fifty of their fellow former flag officers behind them, they are calling for a new emphasis on smart power – using our nation’s diplomatic and economic resources to protect our interests.

Defense Secretary Gates has made the same point absolutely clear, and I quote: “having robust civilian capabilities could make it less likely that military force will have to be used in the first place…

Our amendment has the support of the One Campaign, Interaction, the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign, and many other groups.”

Read the full remarks after the jump…. (more…)

The latest list of co-sponsors for the Biden-Lugar Amendment to restore $4.1 billion to the international affairs budget below.

Call 202-224-3121 to urge your senators to sign on.

Sen. Biden (D – DE)
Sen. Bingaman (D – NM) 

Sen. Brown (D – OH)

Sen. Burr (R – NC)
Sen. Cardin (D – MD)

Sen. Coleman (R – MN)

Sen. Collins (R – ME)

Sen. Corker (R – TN)

Sen. Dodd (D – CT)

Sen. Dole (R – NC)

Sen. Durbin (D – IL)

Sen. Feinstein (D – CA)

Sen. Hagel (R – NE)

Sen. Isakson (R – GA)

Sen. Kerry (D – MA)

Sen. Leahy (D – VT)

Sen. Levin (D – MI)

Sen. Lugar (R- IN)

Sen. Martinez (R – FL)
Sen. Menendez (D – NJ)
Sen. Mikulski (D – MD)

Sen. Obama (D – IL)

Sen. Smith (R – OR)

Sen. Snowe (R – ME)

Sen. Sununu (R – NH)

Sen. Voinovich (R – OH)

Check out the clip here.

I’ll transcribe some of his words here momentarily.

Also, you can scroll back through the videos Senator Biden gave to ONE members for ONE Action’s “On The Record” campaign below.

OK. Biden is finally on the floor to talk about the Biden-Lugar Amendment to restore $4.1 billion to the international affairs budget. You can watch on C-Span 2 or online.

Also, the list of co-sponsors continues to grow. If you don’t see both of your state’s senators below, call them – at 202-224-3121 – now.

Sen. Biden (D – DE)
Sen. Brown (D – OH)
Sen. Burr (R – NC)
Sen. Coleman (R – MN)
Sen. Collins (R – ME)
Sen. Corker (R – TN)
Sen. Dodd (D – CT)
Sen. Dole (R – NC)
Sen. Durbin (D – IL)
Sen. Feinstein (D – CA)
Sen. Hagel (R – NE)
Sen. Isakson (R – GA)
Sen. Kerry (D – MA)
Sen. Leahy (D – VT)
Sen. Levin (D – MI)
Sen. Lugar (R- IN)
Sen. Martinez (R – FL)
Sen. Menendez (D – NJ)
Sen. Obama (D – IL)
Sen. Smith (R – OR)
Sen. Snowe (R – ME)
Sen. Sununu (R – NH)
Sen. Voinovich (R – OH)

ONE super volunteer Sammi Fredenburg of Seattle, Washington, arrived in DC today so that she can present at the Global Child Survival Act hearing on the Hill tomorrow. Senator Dodd and Former Senator Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., will also be speaking.

She walked by my desk just now so I insisted she had to wait while I got a photo. Above, Sammi poses with Josh Chernila who works both Internet and field for ONE.

Senator Biden is supposed to speak on the Senate floor momentarily on the Biden-Lugar Amendment.

You can watch live on TV on C-SPAN 2 or live online here.

Late last night, Senators Joe Biden (D-DE) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) introduced a new amendment. It would restore the $2.6 billion we have been working toward and add an additional $1.5 billion to the international affairs budget. This funding would bring the Senate in line with what President Bush requested earlier this year, and would be a strong boost for America’s lifesaving work around the globe.

Please call your senator today (202-224-3121) and tell them:

-You are constituent and a ONE member

- You want them to support the Biden-Lugar amendment to restore $4.1 billion to the international affairs budget, to match the president’s budget request.

The sponsors of the original $2.6b amendment – Senators Feinstein (D-CA), Smith (R-OR), Durbin (D-IL), Sununu (R-NH), Dodd (D-CT) and Coleman (R-MN) – have turned their support to this new effort as well. It is quickly building the steam that it will need to pass.

More senators will be signing throughout the day. Check back to the ONE Blog for the most up-to-date list of senators signed on so far. We only have a few hours to make calls and save billions of dollars in critical poverty-fighting funding.

‘Sons of Lwala’ will debut in Nashville on March 27.

The film follows the life of two brothers from a Kenyan village, Milton and Fred, who were sent to American to become doctors. When they finally return, their parents have died of AIDS and they must find the resources to finish the health clinic that their father had begun to build before he fell ill.

Watch a clip below and learn more on the official site.

I don’t live near Nashville, but I’m looking forward to seeing the movie when I can…

I also got a note from ONE’s Katherine Jollon today who visited Tigers Club, a program that works with street children in Kampala, Uganda.

According to the Consortium for Street Children there are 10,000 street children in Uganda. “Underlying causes of children’s problems in Uganda include armed conflicts, diseases (HIV/AIDS), lack of education, inadequate services and entrenched poverty.”

From Katherine:

“Today was my favorite day yet – our last stop was to the Tigers Club project which works with street kids in Kampala, Uganda to leave street life behind and transition into a caring family environment. They engage the kids through football (American soccer), and through that experience teach and counsel them to get off the streets. The results are overwhelming – 87 percent of the kids transition back into family homes. What most amazed me was the kids themselves – their smart, quick humor, their courage to turn their lives around, and their energy. The children reminded us how and why we can help – that difference is made one child at a time and that these community-level programs change lives every day.

-Katherine Jollon”