…than when they are united in their objects and wishes.” - Marcus Tullius Cicero
I just want to take a moment to point out that struggles like today’s hopeful passage of the Biden-Lugar Amendment are rarely won without the hard work of many individuals and NGOs.
Two coalitions in particular, Interaction and the US Global Leadership Campaign, are playing critical roles in organizing and leveraging numerous other organizations in support of the Biden-Lugar Amendment.
Thanks, good luck, and keep up the hard work!
Feel free to give them some love in the comments, we’ll send the messages on.
The first big step today we’ve already taken. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, by an overwhelming 18-3 vote this morning, approved an bold expansion of the US commitment to fighting AIDS, TB and malaria through a program called PEPFAR.
In Washington’s marble halls, PEPFAR is a funny name for a part of America’s foreign policy. But for people around the world, PEPFAR is a lifeline to medicines and doctors’ care. Already, through PEPFAR, America has helped provide 1.4 million HIV/AIDS patients with antiretroviral drugs. The new legislation would build on that success. It would provide for medical treatments of 3 million people with AIDS, help to prevent 12 million new infections, and care for 12 million people impacted by the disease, including 5 million orphans. Importantly, the legislation would train 140,000 new health care workers while transforming PEPFAR from an emergency response to a sustainable response program.
The next step for PEPFAR is for the full House and the full Senate to vote on their versions of the bill. Stay tuned for updates as the legislation moves ahead.
Just had one of our Government Affairs people run over. He’s confirming that the vote on the Biden-Lugar Amendment will happen today.
If you have not called your senators, you must now – 202-224-3121. Because this funding determines expenditures for the entire year, losing this fight will make every other fight that much more difficult. (Up-to-date list of senators cosponsoring the amendment here.)
The call is easy to make, all you need to tell your Senators’ office is:
You are constituent and a ONE member
You want them to support the Biden-Lugar amendment to restore $4.1 billion to the international affairs budget, to match the president’s budget request.
The momentum is really starting to build. We’ll be following developments throughout the day on the blog. We expect the Senate to vote on the legislation, which would restore $4.1 billion for the international affairs budget, today or tomorrow.
If you don’t see both of your state’s senators below then, call them – at 202-224-3121 – now
Sen. Biden (D – DE)
Sen. Bingaman (D – NM)
Sen. Bond (R – MO)
Sen. Boxer (D – CA)
Sen. Brown (D – OH)
Sen. Cantwell (D – WA)
Sen. Cardin (D – MD)
Sen. Clinton (D – NY)
Sen. Coleman (R – MN)
Sen. Collins (R – ME)
Sen. Corker (R – TN)
Sen. Dodd (D – CT)
Sen. Dole (R – NC)
Sen. Durbin (D – IL)
Sen. Feingold (D – WI)
Sen. Feinstein (D – CA)
Sen. Hagel (R – NE)
Sen. Isakson (R – GA)
Sen. Kerry (D – MA)
Sen. Mikulski (D – MD)
Sen. Leahy (D – VT)
Sen. Levin (D – MI)
Sen. Lugar (R- IN)
Sen. Martinez (R – FL)
Sen. Menendez (D – NJ)
Sen. Obama (D – IL)
Sen. Schumer (D – NY)
Sen. Smith (R – OR)
Sen. Snowe (R – ME)
Sen. Sununu (R – NH)
Sen. Vitter (R – LA)
Sen. Voinovich (R – OH)
The list of senators sponsoring the Biden-Lugar Amendment continues to grow. See the latest list below.
We expect the Senate to vote on the legislation, which would restore $4.1 billion for the international affairs budget, today or tomorrow.
If you don’t see both of your state’s senators below then, call them – at 202-224-3121 – now.
Sen. Biden (D – DE)
Sen. Bond (R – MO)
Sen. Brown (D – OH)
Sen. Burr (R – NC)
Sen. Cantwell (D – WA)
Sen. Coleman (R – MN)
Sen. Collins (R – ME)
Sen. Corker (R – TN)
Sen. Dodd (D – CT)
Sen. Dole (R – NC)
Sen. Durbin (D – IL)
Sen. Feinstein (D – CA)
Sen. Hagel (R – NE)
Sen. Isakson (R – GA)
Sen. Kerry (D – MA)
Sen. Leahy (D – VT)
Sen. Levin (D – MI)
Sen. Lugar (R- IN)
Sen. Martinez (R – FL)
Sen. Menendez (D – NJ)
Sen. Obama (D – IL)
Sen. Smith (R – OR)
Sen. Snowe (R – ME)
Sen. Sununu (R – NH)
Sen. Voinovich (R – OH)
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.”
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
