August Recess 2009
Aug 21st, 2009 9:07 PM UTC
By Field
I and some fellow ONE members in Rhode Island just wrapped up an extremely positive and productive meeting with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and his staffer Rele Abiade. We began the meeting by thanking him for meeting with us and for his prior support in the fight against extreme poverty.
Senator Whitehouse shared with us his account of the years he served in Africa as a member of the Foreign Service which gave him some first-hand knowledge of the issues confronting the continent. We also discussed climate change and asked for his support of legislation that allocates 5% of any revenue to begin helping the world’s poorest people overcome the threats posed by climate change. Senator Whitehouse informed us that his staff would follow up with us on the matter. All in all, we really appreciated the opportunity to meet with the Senator and look forward to continuing the conversation with him in the future!
-John Flynn, Rhode Island ONE Member
Yesterday, fellow ONE members Trisha Hensley and Sheila Lynch joined me in meeting with Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (CA-6). After thanking the Congresswoman for voting in support of the PEPFAR reauthorization and the JUBILEE Act last year, as well as her co-sponsorship of the ‘Paul Simon Water for the World’, ‘Newborn, Mother and Child Survival’ and ‘Initiating Foreign Aid Reform’ bills this year, we asked her what issues facing the world’s poor she was most passionate. It was clear from Rep. Woolsey’s response that she has a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of the vast array of poverty-related issues, but her personal experiences in Africa have led her to connect most deeply with the prevention of HIV/AIDS and improvement of child and maternal health.
Earlier this year Congresswoman Woolsey joined CARE on a trip to Tanzania to learn more about the challenges facing people in the region. The interactions that she had with women in Tanzania and the struggles they face with lack of prenatal care and the risk of HIV/AIDS continue to compel her to work side-by-side with us at ONE in the fight against extreme global poverty.
Next, we learned more about Congresswoman Woolsey’s courageous stand on ending the genocide in Darfur. It isn’t everyday that a visit to a congresswoman is spent recalling an arrest for civil disobedience action organized by the Save Darfur Coalition outside the Sudanese Embassy in Washington!
Below are some of the Congresswoman’s remarks delivered immediately prior to her arrest:
“After recognizing genocide in Darfur almost five years ago, it’s far past time for the international community to come together to end it. We’re here today to send a message to Khartoum, and to the world, that lawmakers in the United States Congress are making ending the genocide in Darfur a top priority. This isn’t a Democratic issue or a Republican issue – this is one of the moral issues of our time.”
As a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, Lynn Woolsey continues to be a great champion for world’s poorest people. She expressed gratitude for our visit, as well as the important work ONE is doing, and she encouraged us to spread the word to other members of ONE to visit their representatives, especially those members of Congress who haven’t already demonstrated strong support on these issues.
-Lori Saltveit, ONE San Francisco Bay Area
Aug 19th, 2009 1:34 PM UTC
By Field
Jim and Letty Carpenter and I met with Julianna Albowicz, a member of Senator Mikulski’s staff, yesterday at the senator’s Hagerstown, Maryland office. It was an excellent meeting and the information was carefully recorded by Ms. Albowicz to be reported to the senator. We thanked Senator Mikulski for her support of PEPFAR and asked for her continued leadership in the fight against extreme poverty.
We discussed ONE’s campaigns to meet the climate challenge and improve access to clean water and sanitation. As Maryland ONE members, we were excited for this opportunity to advocate for the poor of our world. Sign up to meet with your senator during the August recess!
-Marv Tollefson, Middletown, Maryland
Aug 14th, 2009 3:23 PM UTC
By Field
All around the country Members are returning home to their districts and states, and “taking the pulse” of their constituents. As news channels cover heated town halls, there are others out who are quietly thanking their representatives for their efforts to help the world’s poorest people.
Just this week I met with the Office of Congresswoman Kay Granger (TX-12), a key and influential player in the U.S. House of Representatives and Ranking Republican of the State, Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
District Director Barbara Ragland took notes as I thanked the Congresswoman for her commitment to the world’s poor as well as global health issues. Specifically I thanked her for the Congresswoman’s steady leadership and bipartisan approach to developing the 2010 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill by working with Subcommittee Chair, Rep. Nita Lowey (NY-18). I also asked that she retain her commitment to the funding levels contained in the House Foreign Ops. Appropriations bill as it moves through the House/Senate Conference process. Her close attention to this process will ensure ultimate success and will lead to improved funding for proven, effective programs that help save lives.
Even in these tough economic times, I, as a member of ONE, believe that her thoughtful approach to foreign assistance is critical in the fight against global poverty and preventable disease. By making life a little better for those in troubled regions, our nation and world will ultimately be safer.
Thank you, ONE members, for taking the time to use your voice to help the world’s poorest, and please remember to thank your members of Congress when they do the same!
-Joshua Key, Texas ONE Member
Aug 13th, 2009 1:50 PM UTC
By Field
Yesterday, I joined Pennsylvania ONE Members and representatives from CARE in a meeting with Rep. Chaka Fattah’s Chief of Staff Charles Hayden. Congressman Fattah is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and has been a supporter of many of ONE’s legislative priorities throughout his career. The meeting went very well as we were able to represent over 6,000 2nd District PA ONE Members. We made sure to ask Mr. Hayden to pass along our gratitude to Rep. Fattah for voting in favor of the PEPFAR reauthorization last year and more recently for Co-Sponsoring the Paul Simon Water for the World Act and the Initiating Foreign Aid Reform bills this Congress.
Mr. Hayden listened intently as we presented information on ONE and the reasons as to why it is critical to have leadership for those who do not have a voice. We requested Mr. Hayden to ask Rep. Fattah to please urge all other members of the House Appropriations Committee to lead by example with their votes when it comes to critical legislation that saves millions of lives. Mr. Hayden thanked us and said he would certainly pass on the specifics of our meeting to Congressman Fattah. Meeting with your Member of Congress this August is extremely important while they are in-district so they know their constituents support them in the fight against global poverty and disease. I hope all ONE Members schedule a meeting today with their respective elected official!
-Deesha Dyer, PA ONE Member
It is officially August Recess and here in Florida we are taking advantage of the opportunity to meet locally with our elected officials and their staff while they are in town.
Earlier today, we had the chance to sit down with Josh Maddock, District Representative for Congressman Ron Klein (Fl-D-22). We told Josh all about ONE and the more than 4,000 ONE members living right here in the 22nd Congressional District which spans the eastern coast of Florida from Boca Raton up through parts of Jupiter.
First and foremost, we thanked Josh for Rep. Klein’s previous support on some of our legislative priorities, including the reauthorization of PEPFAR and the Jubilee Act. We were also pleased to report that Rep. Klein voted against the Lewis/Culberson amendment which, if passed, would have cut significant funding from the FY2010 Foreign Affairs Appropriations Bill.
As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, we knew that Rep. Klein would be familiar with recent efforts to re-write the Foreign Assistance Act with the goal of restructuring and improving coordination and aid effectiveness. We asked that Rep. Klein consider joining the more than 100 members of Congress who are already cosponsors of this important bill.
Before leaving, we also talked about the importance of developing a long-term approach to improve agricultural sustainability and asked that Rep. Klein become a cosponsor of H.R. 3077, The Global Food Security Act. We know that the United States is a global leader in providing emergency food and disaster assistance, however, these interventions, while critical, are not sustainable solutions to improve the lives of millions that are vulnerable to food insecurity.
-Sara J. Paterni
Aug 3rd, 2009 4:22 PM UTC
By Field
Today, Pennsylvania ONE members kicked off the August recess by attending the 7th Congressional District “Working Families Resources Summit” hosted by Congressman Joe Sestak. We were able to meet briefly with Representative Sestak afterwards to thank him for becoming a Co-Sponsor of the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act (H.R.2139) and give him a ONE wristband. Congressman Sestak said he was very familiar with ONE and indicated that he understands the importance of this legislation. This very reassuring because Representative Sestak is a retired serviceman and currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) which has oversight over the Department of Defense (DoD). DoD provides about 22% of U.S. development assistance so planning and coordination with the State Department which administers another 50-60% of U.S. foreign assistance is critical maximize aid effectiveness. We hope he will encourage his other colleagues on the HASC to also support this bill.
As our members of Congress are returning to their respective states during the August recess we have an opportunity to share our concerns for those who do not have a voice suffering in extreme poverty. This is a great time to get involved and engage your members of Congress! Here in Pennsylvania, ONE members across the state are planning to meet with their elected officials and attend events to advocate on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable. Stay tuned for more PA Congressional engagement throughout this August recess!
-Greg Colker and Matt Schaeffer, PA ONE Members
