Kerry-Lugar Amendment- Let’s do it again!
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As you know, the Senate Budget Committee is threatening to cut $4 billion from the President’s budget that would otherwise be used to fight poverty. You can call your senators here. Maryam Aminu from our Government Relations team provides some analysis and background on the Kerry-Lugar amendment.
-Chris Scott
This is going to be a very important week for us who belong to ONE. In February, President Obama made a promising request to Congress for $53.8 billion dollars for the International Affairs (150) account, which funds most of the programs we care about including PEPFAR, Malaria, debt relief, basic education and child survival. It represented a $4 billion increase from the $49.8billion in total spending in 2009. Last week, the House and Senate Budget Committees released their budget resolution with very disappointing allocations for the 150 account. The Senate allocated $49.8 billion, which is a flat-line from last year, which means that we would not be able to increase the number of people with AIDS on ARV treatment and make progress on ending Malaria deaths in Africa, among other important programs that will be stalled. In the House, we are facing an even worse situation.
The good news is we have an opportunity to change these numbers. Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) have introduced an amendment to restore $4 billion to the 150 account, which would bring it back up to the level of President’s request of $53.8 billion in the Senate bill. If the amendment passes, the 150 account will have a better chance of receiving an increase, when they reconcile the House and Senate budget resolutions and begin the appropriations process. The amendment will come to the floor this Wednesday or Thursday. We will need to secure 60 votes to pass the amendment. We need your voice now! As a Senate constituent and ONE member, you have the chance, with a simple phone call, to deliver your Senator’s much needed vote to get us to 60 and close the deal. Tomorrow when you get the budget alert from ONE, make haste and make your call to your Senator. Then ask your family and friends to call too. Last year, we won the vote by a huge margin of 73-23. Let’s try and win another decisive victory this year!
-Maryamu Aminu, Government Relations
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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.
The content of each post and each comment represents the views of that author and does not necessarily reflect the views of ONE or ONE Action. ONE does not support or oppose any candidate for elected office, and any post expressing support or opposition for a candidate is not endorsed by ONE.
March 31, 2009 at 11:20 am
In a time such as this do you really think it is wise to expect the American people to push for this? This extra 4 billion in spending means the government will need to collect an additional 4 billion plus any interest from none other than the American people. We need to start sticking up for our own countrymen and women instead of worrying about other nations’ people. With unemployment reaching double digits I think it is about time we start worrying about the state of our own citizens who will be thrust out of their homes and forced to forgo foodstuffs because of the reckless spending of our corporations and government.
Congress should be cutting more than this measley 4 billion from this pork filled spending bill. This Liberal Democratic Agenda is ruining America and all we have stood for for 250 years.
Thomas Jefferson and the rest of the true Patriots who drafted our constitution would be appalled to see what our generations have done to this once great country.
March 31, 2009 at 11:54 am
Darren,
There is “pork filled” spending in the budget created by both political parties unfortunatly. So, I think speaking as a Republican myself, we can’t blame the Deomcrats. If you want the pork filled spending removed, I would suggest contacting your republican AND democratic representatives and/or senators. As far as cutting this aid, it’s your kind of thinking that gives Americans a bad name. Americans are considered arrogant, unkind, and selfish by a majority of the world, which is obviously untrue. Americans consume 40% of the world’s resouces and only represent 3% of the polulation. So, I think asking the government to restore 4 billion dollars in comparison to 3 trillion dollar budget is not a lot to ask. Especially when actions like your would be condemning million of people in our world to die. Are you prepared to take on the responsibility for the deaths of millions of children? If not, I would suggest looking elsewhere to reduce spending if you’re such a conservative money spender. There are plenty of “pet projects” currently in the stimulus bill that Republicans have pushed for…
March 31, 2009 at 11:58 am
Darren-
I can understand how you feel but completely disagree with you. Our security and prosperity depends on a thriving global economy (http://tinyurl.com/dmsvlb). Beyond being the right thing to do , the drafters of the Constitution did not believe the inalienable rights of man were the sole purview of the American people. With hundreds of billions set aside for war and defense, is $4 billion unreasonable in the global pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? This country is great because we can ask those questions and because we can help those who need it.
March 31, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I do agree that there is too much spending in many areas. The AIG bailout is one prime example among many.
Both parties are to blame and I am sick of being saddled with the burden of rising taxes. It is hard enough for us normal Americans to get by while making regular mortgage payments and paying our taxes which keep rising. A trip that once cost 60 dollars a year ago to the grocery store now costs more than 80 because of new sales taxes due to the fact that our government is grossly inefficient.
I am a libertarian just like our founding fathers and I believe that all taxes not associated with the installation and maintenance of infrastructure is counterintuitive to our capitalist plan.
War spending and Aid to other countries has gotten out of hand. It is time we cut the cord and force these countries to either hone up to their own responsibilities or perish. Darwin was right. Natural selection will take care of the world the way it sees fit. If these people we have been trying to save for decades dont want to take it upon themselves to better their environments then they need to go the way of the dinosaurs.
It is not my thinking that gives America a bad name. It is the warmongering and the butting into other countries affairs that give America a bad name. It is the crooked way our national state and local governments do business. It is the unfair taxation of the working person in order to support the lazy. We are no longer free in the sense that we should be. We are now a left leaning tower of socialism on the cusp of becoming the next union in a line of socialist regimes that have failed their own people.
It is a sad day to see that Americans care more about what is happening in Africa than what is happening in our own sick sad country.
WAKE UP!!! Our freedom is being taken from us as we are distracted by problems that dont mean anything to us.
March 31, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Dear One members and organizers,
The United States of America is at a crossroads, one road leading to recovery and the other to devastation. I believe One can help America by using it’s influence to deter upcoming legislation that increases the national debt of our country. Our country is under some kind of spell, we actually believe that a bankrupt government can bailout bankrupt industries. I implore all who are part of One to write your politicians, and other state’s politicians, to stop this insane pilphering of the American people’s wealth. If the One campaign hopes to continue it can only occur with a strong America. It is time for One to campaign on behalf of America. God Bless.
April 1, 2009 at 1:58 pm
In contrary to an earlier post, I know Americans to be the most generous people in the world. My heart is with the people of Darfur and I want to see the crimes against humanity end in this region. I don’t think we need to use tax dollars. I have seen what the government does with our tax dollars and I am disgusted at the waste and poor management. Please be generous to organizations who will help the people of Darfur and all of Africa. Please encourage your representatives to continue to provide tax incentives for tax-paying Americans to continue to make charitable contributions.
April 1, 2009 at 10:31 pm
I can’t be the first commenter here who thinks the restoration of $4B in international aid is a GOOD thing, can I? Tell me I’m not.
Yes, the money needs to come from somewhere. Why not cut it from the budget of the Department of Defense? (They’ve lost more than that in Iraq already–and I do mean lost, no idea where the money went.)
Yes, America’s going through a recession. We’re still richer than most of the rest of the planet. $4 billion works out to about $11.50 per American. That’s less than a small pizza! Three gallons of milk. A really cheap t-shirt. But it’s weeks worth of food for people in some parts of Africa.
Thank you, Senators Kerry and Lugar. I’m proud to say my senator (Corker, TN) supported this.