While some used the last week of August to get ready to go back to school or get in that last summer vacation, ONE members across the country were busy attending meetings with their Members of Congress! Each of these meetings are important and provide an opportunity for ONE members to use their voice for the world’s poorest people. The meetings let Senators and Representatives know that their constituents truly care about the fight against extreme poverty and preventable diseases like HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.

Below are a few highlights of last week’s meetings, and make sure to check out the blog as we get more updates from around the country (click images to enlarge):

Visit to Senator Richard Shelby’s office in Mobile, Alabama

Last week Judith Smits and fellow ONE member David O’Brien met with Tara Johnson in Senator Shelby’s office in Mobile, Alabama to discuss the importance of U.S. leadership in fighting extreme poverty and global disease. Specifically, they discussed the potential impact climate change may have on developing countries. Increased droughts, floods and storms have the potential to reverse many of the gains being made against poverty and disease in some of the poorest countries around the world. Judith and David requested that Senator Shelby ensure that this year’s Senate climate change legislation meets the standard set by last year’s bipartisan Lieberman-Warner climate bill, and allocates 5% of any revenue to begin helping the world’s poorest people overcome the threats posed by climate change.

Visit to Senator Specter’s office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Last Wednesday PA ONE Members met with Senator Specter’s Community Affairs Coordinator Adam C. Pope in Pittsburgh, PA. We made sure that Mr. Pope knew how much PA ONE members appreciate Senator Specter’s leadership in the Senate and for supporting important programs like PEPFAR, the Millennium Challenge Account, and the Global Fund.

We also indicated that ONE hopes that Senator Specter will support 5% of climate related revenue to assist the world’s poorest confront threats arising from climate change. There was also discussion of the upcoming G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, the role Senator Specter will play in those events as well as ONE having a presence in the city and around the meetings.

Visit to Representative Bill Posey’s office in Melbourne, Florida

On Wednesday last week, ONE members joined Jenni Rothenberg and others from the USGLC to meet with Representative Bill Posey’s (R-FL-15) District Director, Kathryn Rudloff. We discussed the importance of development as a key foreign policy tool and the need for development strategies to be elevated to the same level as defense and diplomacy (i.e. the ‘3Ds’). We are hopeful that Rep. Posey will help us achieve this goal by supporting full funding for poverty reduction programs in the State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill conference report.

Visit to Representative Kathy Castor’s office in Tampa, Florida

On Friday last week, ONE member Alex Savelli teamed up with USGLC one more time to meet with Representative Castor’s District Director, Chloe Coney. We thanked her for Rep. Castor’s previous support on global poverty issues, including her vote in support of the FY2010 State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill. She also voted against several amendments which would have substantially reduced funding for 2010 poverty-fighting programs. Rep. Castor’s continued support of full funding for the FY2010 International Affairs Budget will be critical to help elevate development assistance in order to restore America’s image in the world, increase our security and help to lift millions out of extreme poverty.

Visit to Representative Bill Young’s office in Seminole, Florida

Last week, Tampa ONE member Alex Savelli met with Shirley Miaoulis at the Seminole district office of Representative Bill Young (R-FL-10). Representative Young has been in office and serving the people of the 10th Congressional district for close to 40 years. It was great to be able to sit down with his staff and learn more about the issues that Representative Young champions, including his commitment to U.S. troops and their families. As the highest ranking Republican member on the Defense Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, his support on initiatives to end poverty and disease is critical.

During the meeting, we talked about the upcoming vote on the State, Foreign Operations conference report and asked that Rep. Young support the highest possible funding for life-saving programs such as The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and PEPFAR, The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. The International Affairs Budget provides America with countless opportunities to build global stability, generate much needed allies and advance our national interests. I am hopeful that Rep. Young will support the State,Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill when he returns to Washington this fall.

-Kim Smith

With eighteen Congressional seats in Los Angeles County alone, it was time to get the Los Angeles ONE team together to generate action around the August Recess. Over forty volunteers showed up at Wednesday night’s LA ONE Volunteer meeting, including two staff-members from Congressman Adam B. Schiff’s office and Presidential Candidate Dennis Kucinich’s publicist, as well as the Founder-Director of Friends of The United Nations.

All attendees had the opportunity to express why they signed up for the ONE Campaign and what they hope to accomplish by being a volunteer. Although most were new to the lobbying world, there was a definite interest in letting their member of Congress know that they care about extreme poverty and global disease. We discussed all pertinent pieces of legislation that ONE is focused on, including the Education for All Act, The Global Child Survival Act, the GROWTH Act and Jubilee Act. We also talked about ONE Vote ‘08 and the importance of engaging Presidential Candidates (see the Candidate Trackr) when they are in town.

Lead volunteer Amy Quinn was by my side assisting with the meeting, and ONE member Jeanine, who was new in town from Maryland, was a great help in facilitating as well. Thanks to all of you who took the time (and braved the LA traffic) to join the meeting and learn more about ONE. Let’s keep the momentum going and let all eighteen Representatives know that we care about extreme poverty.

Special thanks goes out the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel for donating the meeting space and a consistently gracious and accommodating staff.

Last night, 150 ONE members from across the country joined on a ONE conference call to learn more about lobbying their member of Congress during the upcoming August recess. Joining the call from ONE HQ was Josh Peck, Internet Director; Erin Erlenborn, Director of Government Affairs; and myself from our Field department.

Here are the highlights:

• Lobbying your Member of Congress is one of the most powerful ways to use your voice in the fight against extreme poverty and global disease.

• We walked through step-by-step how to set up a meeting with your member of Congress. You can find that information here.
• During this August recess, ONE is pushing four pieces of legislation: the U.S. Commitment to Child Survival Act, the Education for All Act, the GROWTH Act, and the Jubilee Act.
• While it may be intimidating to set up a meeting, remember that your member of Congress wants to hear what you have to say and it’s not as hard as it looks.

Thanks so much to everyone who joined. For those of you that missed the call, check out the August recess lobbying page and set up a meeting with your member of Congress today.