September 8th, 2008 at 9:41 am | posted by Virginia Simmons
Having just returned from 2 weeks at the DNC and RNC conventions, I was browsing through ONE’s “On The Record” microsite, where anyone can learn the (current and former) 2008 presidential candidates’ plans for fighting extreme poverty.
Below see short video clips from Senator Obama, Senator McCain and Senator Biden. (Gov. Palin was not a presidential candidate in 2008 so we don’t have her on the record on global poverty on the site.)
Senator Obama on doubling foreign assistance:
Senator McCain on the global AIDS crisis and PEPFAR
Senator Biden on global poverty and U.S. security:
You can read more about all their plans on each of their individual pages on the site. (Obama’s page here, McCain’s page here, and Biden’s page here.)
August 24th, 2008 at 10:52 am | posted by Virginia Simmons
Back in December, ONE members got all the presidential candidates to go on the record with their plans to fight global poverty. You can watch short video clips of Senator Biden discussing his plans on ONE’s “On The Record” microsite.
This was his response to the question: “If elected president, what would you want your legacy to be to Africa and the world’s poor?”
Below are his written replies to 5 questions from ONE:
On reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis:
“As President, I have pledged that I will provide at least $50 billion by 2013 to combat HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Millions of lives are at stake. We must make an investment that matches the scale of the epidemics.”
On eradicating malaria:
“Over one million people die yearly from malaria, a preventable disease. I have long supported efforts to develop a vaccine for malaria, and as President, I would expand these efforts. And I would make it a priority to increase access to prevention tools — we know they work. In the 21st century, no one should be dying from mosquito bites.”
On improving child and maternal health:
“The health and welfare of women and children are the foundation of every family, community, and nation. As a senator, I have introduced legislation to safeguard women and children in refugee and IDP camps and I am the author of the International Violence Against Women Act. As president, I would build on these efforts to address the interlinked health needs and human rights of women and children.”
On achieving universal primary education:
“I co-sponsored the Education for All Act and I have long supported universal primary education. Its the foundation of democracy, an investment in the future and the most powerful tool we have to empower women. Universal primary education is, simply put, a fundamental need.”
On cutting in half the number of people without clean water or enough food:
“Water born diseases are one of the leading killers of children under five. Hunger and malnutrition threaten the health and well being of millions more. Global warming will just make these problems worse. As Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I have seen the consequences of unsafe water and inadequate food around the world. As President, I would invest in helping countries tackle these challenges as part of a comprehensive health and development strategy.”
On additional commitments to the world’s poor:
I am proud to have partnered with Bono on Jubilee 2000 debt relief. We kept at it and the result was the G-8 debt relief actions at Glen Eagles in 2006. I see it as a moral and economic obligation to keep money in countries that have such great need instead of paying off what are often the long ago acquired debts of dictators. As the world’s richest country, we have a moral obligation to increase our share of the effort to eliminate poverty. It’s also strategically smart because it’s in our national security interest to help prevent states from failing. The countries that we help have an equal responsibility to invest these funds in their own people.”
August 23rd, 2008 at 8:37 am | posted by Virginia Simmons
The news is finally out!
Barack Obama has chosen Senator Joe Biden as his running mate. For more than a year, ONE members have been advocating our issues to the presidential candidates, our next job is to deliver that same message to the VP-picks.
Let’s turn this political moment into a poverty-fighting moment by talking to Senator Joe Biden right now, before he gets swept-up in coast-to-coast campaign and the crush of 24-hour national media attention.
July 16th, 2008 at 7:28 pm | posted by Virginia Simmons
After weeks of ONE Campaign members relentlessly writing and calling their senators, and great work by so many partner organizations, we’ve successfully unstuck billions of dollars in AIDS, TB and malaria funding tonight!
We dodged several potentially devastating amendments over the last 2 days - pieces of legislation that would have put millions of lives at risk. We did lose one amendment-fight, however, so the total funding for PEPFAR for the next five years will now be $48 billion, instead of the original $50 billion.
After tonight’s successful Senate vote, the bill will go back to the House and then onto the president to sign. We are hopeful those processes will be swift.
Given how much we had to fight to reauthorize this bill this year- this is a great victory for us. Thank you to everyone who contacted their members of Congress to pass PEPFAR. Literally, millions of lives will be saved with this funding.
Below, a quote from our Legislative Director Tom Hart:
“Even as Americans face serious concerns at home, the Senate has proved America’s commitment to providing lifesaving medicines to the world’s most vulnerable people. PEPFAR is an investment in people around the world; but it is also an example of America’s generosity and a critical piece of American diplomacy. By treating and preventing disease and saving lives, we can help to create more stable communities and a more secure future for Americans.
Senators Biden, Lugar and Reid are true heroes for their persistence and patience in passing this bill. This legislation received strong support from co-sponsoring Senators on both sides of the aisle, including both Presidential candidates.”
After the jump find all the proposed amendments, their results, and those who voted for and against this bill.
July 16th, 2008 at 11:39 am | posted by Josh Chernila, ONE Online Communities Coordinator
Yesterday, two amendments which would have limited the scope of PEPFAR Re authorization were overwhelmingly defeated.
The first, sponsored by Senator DeMint would have limited the countries to which PEPFAR assistance could be distributed:
The Senate voted, 70-24, to table, or kill, the amendment from Jim DeMint , R-S.C., to limit the five-year, $50 billion bill to 15 poor countries where it already operates.
The second, sponsored by Senator Bunning, was defeated even more resoundingly:
Sen. Jim Bunning’s (R-Ky.) amendment to reauthorize the program for five years at $15 billion also failed by a vote of 16-80.
Senators Sam Brownback, and Hillary Clinton were among the Senate champions taking the floor yesterday in support of PEPFAR reauthorization and in opposition to the failed amendments. Senators Joe Biden and Dick Lugar have been shepherding the bill through the Senate.
The $50 billion PEPFAR re-authorization bill keeps the core intent of the universally acclaimed President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and expands the amount of funding and breadth of distribution. By providing over 2.1 Million with life-saving retroviral treatment, PEPFAR has been responsible for giving an entire generation a second chance at life, and saved millions of children from the challenges of living without parents.
ONE members nationwide have been calling in to their Senators’ offices in overwhelming numbers to declare their support of PEPFAR Re authorization at the $50 billion level and to declare their opposition to any proceedural measures which could derail this critical, life-saving bill.
No one can be certain about how any bill will fare in the US Senate, but if yesterday’s proceedings are an indication there’s good reason to be optimistic.
Click here, to register your phone calls and keep up the pressure. Things look promising, but there’s a long way to go.
June 24th, 2008 at 4:20 pm | posted by Virginia Simmons
Based on a comment made by Reid a couple hours ago, we hope to see an agreement in the next 24 hours. (Once some key senators are able to craft this agreement, the Senate should be able to move passed the current obstructions and onto the next step in the reauthorization process.) We expect to know more tomorrow, and will let you know when we do.
Reid’s comments from a 2pm press conference today:
“The global AIDS bill, the PEPFAR — I spoke to Senator Biden before lunch today. He asked me if I could wait for another 24 hours before I brought a unanimous consent request to pass this. He said almost all the problems are worked out.
I hope that’s the case. It’s something we need to do. It is important.
The president said he wants it. Now we’ve got to get folks on the other side of the aisle, the Republicans, to join with the president on this.”
March 12th, 2008 at 5:57 pm | posted by Virginia Simmons
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.”
I attended an event with Senator Biden was at Jamison’s Irish restaurant in downtown Waterloo, IA, this week. The room was filled with supporters as they sat around tables eating lunch. The senator walked around greeting people before taking the podium. He talked about how America has the potential to change the world, and his foreign policy experience. “We do not have to make up crisis, because they are already there,” the senator said.
When it was time to ask questions, I raised my hand and he handed me the microphone. It was my first encounter since he went on “On The Record” . First, I thanked him for his commitment to fighting poverty, malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. I also shared with him the fact that after the Rwandan genocide that took the lives of almost 1 million people including my parents, another genocide is currently taking place in Darfur, then I asked him what he would do to stop it.
He told me that he has traveled abroad more than any other candidate has, including Chad and Sudan, and that he has seen the suffering first hand. He told the story how he was able to get women together in Chad to hear their stories. “When I asked if they knew anyone who had been raped, the answer was shocking, they all raised hands,” the senator said. He told the audience that he wrote the International Violence Against Women Act to protect abused women who cannot defend themselves.
Before leaving for an interview, he posed for a picture and said that he is always happy to see ONE members in the audience because “you represent the reality.”
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The content of each post and each comment represent the views of that author and does not necessarily reflect the views of the ONE Campaign or ONE Action. ONE does not support or oppose any candidate for elected office, and any posts expressing support or opposition for a candidate is not endorsed by ONE.
Yesterday, two amendments which would have limited the scope of PEPFAR Re authorization were overwhelmingly defeated. 
