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 30th, 2008 at 10:50 am | posted by Matthew Bartlett, ONE Regional Organizer
On Friday, Sen. Obama returned to the Granite State to campaign for President with Sen. Clinton. Some ONE members and I made it out to the event as early as possible to try and reach the two senators and make sure that the world’s poorest people were not forgotten in Unity, NH.
Waiting in the crowd, I was amazed by the number of ONE bands I saw on people everywhere! As New Hampshire Rep. Paul Hodes made his way to the stage, ONE member Tucker Jadczak was able to reach out to him and offer him a ONE band, which he immediately put on.
Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama finally made their way down to the stage and even through the large crowd, we were able to slip them ONE bands to remind them of the world’s bottom people.
You can see us with Sen. Clinton here:
And with Sen. Obama here, when Tucker thanks him for his efforts to fight AIDS and poverty in Africa:
In much of the media coverage and in many newspapers in New Hampshire and across the nation, you could prominently see Sen. Clinton’s ONE band on her left wrist!
As we move forward in the general election it can be tougher and tougher to have direct engagement with the candidates - but ONE members everywhere are helping to advocate for the world’s poorest people by wearing a ONE shirt, passing a ONE band to a candidate, and finding ways to make our voices heard like writing letters to the editor, and calling their own congressional representatives.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:28 am | posted by Kim Smith, ONE Regional Field Organizer
In the days leading up to the Indiana primary, candidates were making appearances across the state - and last Thursday when Senator Hillary Clinton made a stop in Jeffersonville, ONE was there!
When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. introduced the senator to the over one thousand Indianans at the event, he said that one of the reasons why America is great is that we not only help our own people, but we also help people around the world.
After Senator Hillary Clinton spoke to a crowd in the Jeffersonville High School Gym, she stayed afterward to sign autographs, take pictures, and speak to people - including me.
As Hillary worked her way through the crowd and got to me, I thanked her for going “On the Record” with ONE to lay out her plan to combat global poverty. She took a break from signing an autograph and looked up to say, “Thank you for saying that.”
All the candidates have gone “On the Record” for ONE to lay out their plans for fighting extreme poverty around the world, so if you haven’t checked them out yet, you can see on ONE’s “On The Record” minisite. The Education for All Act’s lead sponsor is Senator Hillary Clinton and if passed it would increase U.S funding for universal primary education and help get over 77 million new children around the world in school.
Wednesday night Senators Clinton and Obama engaged in their first debate in weeks. While they were inside the National Constitution Center discussing their plans for the country, ONE was outside making sure someone was speaking up for all those suffering from extreme poverty around the world. We were out there handing out literature, speaking with Clinton and Obama supporters, giving a voice to those who so often lack one. It was an amazing sight, being part of a crowd of hundreds of supporters, protesters, and activists. The campaign trail is hot here in Pennsylvania and we’re keeping the heat on the candidates about their commitments to fight global poverty.
-Tyler Bond, ONE Vote ’08 organizer, Philadelphia, PA
Sunday night’s Compassion Forum, hosted by Messiah College in Grantham, PA, brought Senators Obama and Clinton together. The event was put on by Faith In Public Life and sponsored by ONE and Oxfam America. Although he was invited, Senator McCain did not attend the forum.
With a question and answer format, moderated by Newsweek’s John Meacham and CNN’s Campbell Brown, questions ranged from the role of religion in public life to those about AIDS in Uganda and federal funding for poverty relief.
Questions were also taken from religious leaders in the audience. Reverend William J. Shaw, of the National Baptist Convention asked Senator Clinton how her administration would deal with the difficulties of providing poor people in “developing countries†with “inexpensive, generic drugs for the treatment of AIDS and other sicknesses.”
Clinton said, “I believe that our government must do so much more to get generic drugs and low-cost drugs to people suffering…not only from HIV/AIDS, but the range of diseases that affect disproportionately the poor…” Clinton went on to commend PEPFAR, calling it “a very bold and important commitment, but it didn’t go far enough in opening up the door to generics and getting the costs down.”
To work toward solutions to these and other problems, citing lack of education, malaria, and TB among them, Clinton said, “I want us to have a partnership, government to government, government with the private sector, government with our NGOS and our faith community to show the best of what America has to offer.”
Senator Obama was questioned by religious leaders as well. Frank Page, of the Southern Baptist Convention, questioned Senator Obama about faith and abstinance-based AIDS prevention programs in Uganda. In his answer, Senator Obama also complimented the PEPFAR program as “one of the success stories of this administration. We’ve seen a drastic increase in funding. And terrific work is being done between the CDC, the NIH, local AIDS organizations, NGOs.”
Obama said that as president, he would “use whatever the best approaches are, the scientifically sound approaches are, to reduce this devastating disease all across the world…” and would seek to “make antiviral drugs available to people who are in extreme poverty.”
April 10th, 2008 at 8:56 pm | posted by Virginia Simmons
Bono was just on Idol GIves Back encouraging everyone to sign up at ONE.org, saying: “Tonight, save a life. Tomorrow, change the world.”
After, the three current presidential candidates spoke about the importance of fighting poverty. In December, ONE members sent tens of thousands of petitions and got all the candidates to go on the record with their plans to combat global poverty.
March 27th, 2008 at 3:35 pm | posted by Josh Lozman
Throughout this year’s presidential campaign, the three remaining candidates have all discussed their plans to fight malaria. Malaria is the largest killer of children of under 5 in Africa. Each year, the disease claims the lives of more than 1 million people globally each year and makes between 300 and 500 million extremely ill.
Yesterday, Senator John McCain reiterated his commitment to establish the goal of eradicating malaria at a speech at the LA World Affairs Council. Senator McCain had previously announced this in an article in Foreign Affairs.
Several months ago, Senator Hillary Clinton announced a plan to eliminate deaths on the continent on Africa at a speech at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church. She committed to spend $1 billion per year towards this goal.
Senator Barack Obama has committed to doubling funding for the President’s Malaria Initiative as well as lift a cap on the United States contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
Malaria is a disease that we know how to stop. Bed nets and indoor spraying of houses with insecticides coupled with prophylactic and curative treatments are all inexpensive and highly effective ways to prevent transmission of the disease and prevent severe illness or death in those that do get. The fight against malaria is primed for an increased fight and ONE is pleased that the presidential candidates have given it so much attention. ONE will continue encouraging the candidates to discuss their commitments on malaria and tackle other critical global development challenges.
March 7th, 2008 at 10:32 am | posted by Kim Smith, ONE Regional Field Organizer
In the week leading up to this past Tuesday’s Texas primary, ONE members in Waco realized they had a unique opportunity to help in the fight against extreme poverty and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
More than 30 volunteers came out throughout the week attending events for Governor Huckabee, and Senators Clinton and McCain. Armed with ONE T-shirts, homemade signs, and their passion for ONE’s issues - volunteers and made sure that the candidates from both parties knew that Texans want our next president to be a leader in fighting for the world’s poorest people.
On Thursday, February 28th volunteers attended the Mike Huckabee rally in Waco, Texas, where they were able to meet the governor. After talking to the candidate about fighting poverty around the world, the volunteers were also excited that they were able to meet Huckabee supporter Chuck Norris at the rally.
The next day more ONE volunteers came out for Senator Clinton’s rally where they had seats right in front so that the senator could see them with their ONE shirts and poverty-fighting signs.
Then on Monday, March 3rd, Senator McCain was in Waco for a town hall and again, ONE was there! Justin Kralemann, president of the Baylor University ONE Student group, attended and sent me this note:
We just got in from the McCain Town Hall, during his speech, the senator asked everyone in the meeting to look at me and my fellow ONE members who were present. He talked about ONE and how young Americans are working together for a great cause. All of the cameras turned to us in our ONE tee-shirts. When he opened it up for questions, he asked me to take 60 seconds to tell everyone what ONE was. I then thanked him on behalf of over 100,000 ONE members in Texas for going “On the Record†and if elected, to visit Africa in his first term.
Thanks to all the volunteers in Waco who came out to support ONE and the world’s poorest people. For the ONE supporters out there in Wyoming, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania, as your primaries near, keep an eye out for candidates coming to your city, because we also need you to hit the campaign trail as ONE!
March 5th, 2008 at 2:11 pm | posted by Josh Lozman
Yesterday’s New York Times prominently featured an article describing the debate in the public health community about what are appropriate goals for the fight against malaria. Goals for fighting malaria vary between improving access to control and prevention measures and full eradication of the disease. Full eradication of the disease would mean that no person has the disease, but also that it exists nowhere, except as the New York Times notes, in a laboratory. This was last accomplished with smallpox when the last naturally occurring case of smallpox was recorded in 1977 in Somalia. Smallpox was certified eradicated in 1980.
The most recent round of discussions were sparked late last year when Bill and Melinda Gates called for a push towards eradication at a conference they held in Seattle. Despite the excitement created for such an initiative, the announcement enlivened debate among the scientific community about whether eradication is a realistic goal to set for the community and the potential disappointment of setting the goal and not reaching it. Smallpox had a unique set of credentials that made it a candidate for eradication, including that it could only be carried by humans rather than be primarily carried by mosquitoes in the case of malaria.
The past several years have seen a rapid increase in funding for fighting malaria. Spending from the United States, the Global Fund and World Bank on malaria from 2001 to 2003 was only $348 million. From 2004 to 2006, this number rose to just over $1 billion. The current version of the PEPFAR bill just recently agreed to in the House called for $5 billion in spending on malaria over the next 5 years from the United States alone. This would fund the United States’ proportionate share of the global estimates to achieve universal access to control and prevention for those living in endemic countries. Senators Clinton, McCain, and Obama have all committed to significantly ramp up the United States’ spending on malaria if elected president.
Though the debate about eradication versus control is one that is largely restricted to academic settings and concerns about setting realistic expectations, it is one that is likely to increasingly play out in the public discourse as the United States moves to spend more on fighting this disease.
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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. 
