The Senate Budget Committee drafted a budget for 2008 that cuts the international affairs budget by $2.2 billion below the president’s request. Thankfully, Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) have created an amendment to restore this critical funding.

The Senate is set to vote for the amendment sometime today. In the few hours that remain, please take two minutes to call 1-800 786-2663 and urge your state’s senators to fully fund the fight against extreme poverty in 2008 by voting YES on the Smith-Dodd amendment. (We’ll keep you posted as the vote comes to the floor.)

You’ll find more information, and all the talking points you’ll need for your quick calls, here.

Below, the list of senators currently signed on as supporting the Smith-Dodd amendment:

Sam Brownback (R-KS)
Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Ben Cardin (D-MD)

Bob Casey (D-PA)
Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Susan Collins (R-ME)
Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT)
Richard J. Durbin (D-IL)
Russell D. Feingold (D-WI)
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
Tom Harkin (D-IA)
Daniel K. Inouey (D-HI)
Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
John Kerry (D-MA)
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Mary L. Landrieu (D-LA)
Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Joseph I. Lieberman (D-CT)
Richard G. Lugar (R-IN)
Mel Martinez (R-FL)
Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD)
Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Mark Pryor (D-AR)
Jack Reed (D-RI)
Gordon Smith (R-OR)
John E. Sununu (R-NH)
Ted Stevens (R-AK)
John E. Sununu (R-NH)
George Voinovich (R-OH)
David Vitter (D-LA)

Sunday morning at the Manchester Irish Breakfast (a day after St. Patrick’s Day, but no one seemed to notice.) An Irish breakfast is common here in the northeast where people gather to enjoy a traditional Irish meal served with an extra helping of good Irish humor, and in this case, lots of political punch lines.

I saw many ONE supporters and familiar faces like New Hampshire Governor John Lynch who gave an official commendation to the ONE Campaign from the State of New Hampshire.

But I was there to see and speak with presidential hopeful Senator Dodd. He spoke about bipartisan work, and as a member of the ONE Campaign, I was very familiar with his work, as I had been calling Congress to encourage my own senators to sign on the “Dodd-Smith Dear Colleague” letter to increase poverty aid in the 2008 U.S. budget.

After the breakfast, I spoke with Senator Dodd and thanked him for his efforts for the world’s poorest people. He was very familiar with the ONE Campaign and took a ONE band from me.

Just like Senator Dodd said, it is important to make sure that we fight AIDS and poverty in a bipartisan approach because it will take all of us to make poverty history.