The House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on the Jubilee Act this morning.

Neil Watkins, Jubilee USA Action, gave a great speech on extending the promise of debt relief:

“Debt cancellation now has a ten year record of success and it is a proven tool to fight global poverty…Earlier this year I had the opportunity to see the impact of debt cancellation firsthand when a Jubilee delegation visited the Siavonga Rural Health Clinic in the Zambian countryside.

As we toured the clinic, Grace Chibanda, a pharmacist, showed us the pharmacy, which was full of Anti-Retroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS. ‘Debt relief is a good thing,’ Grace told us. ‘It is getting medicines for people who didn’t have it before.”

Rep. Bachus gave an impassioned opening statement about the plight of those living in extreme poverty, “…on our worst days in Washington, we have more food, more shelter and more security than millions of our brothers and sisters have on their best days.” He went on talk about the importance of debt relief as the first step toward breaking the chains of poverty.

Read more from the hearing here.

-Erin Erlenborn, ONE’s Director of Government Affairs

A hearing is taking place at 10 AM EST at the Rayburn House Office Building in DC about the Jubilee Act.

You can watch or listen live online here.

-Erin Erlenborn, ONE Government Affairs Director

During the last two weeks, ONE members sent more than 48,000 letters and made 4,200 calls to their members of Congress urging them to support the Jubilee Act.

Before we took these thousands of actions, there was a Jubilee bill in the House with just 52 cosponsors, and no companion bill in the Senate.

Now, after Jubilee USA and ONE’s campaigns, 27 more representatives have signed on to cosponsor the Jubilee Act in the House, the Senate has introduced a companion bill and 10 key senators have signed on to cosponsor it.

You can see the full list of representatives and senators who have shown their support by cosponsoring here and here on Thomas.loc.gov.

If your representative or either of your state’s senators are signed on, please thank them using our online tool.

If your representative’s or either of your senators’ names aren’t on the list, there’s still plenty you can do to encourage them.

1.) Write a letter to your members of Congress.
2.) Call their office. All the talking points you need are here.
3.) Write a letter to the editor to your local paper about unjust debt in the developing world and the Jubilee Act.
4.) Schedule a meeting with your representative’s state or DC office. Email giveyourtime@one.org for all the resources you’ll need.

Use the comment thread below to let us know if your representative and senators have signed on yet – and to add your ideas or questions about how to get their support for this critical bill.

We are 5 calls way from logging 4,000 calls for the Jubilee Act!

This is our best call action this year!

If you haven’t already, call 1-800-786-2663 now to urge your members of Congress to support the bill.

-Erin Erlenborn, ONE Government Affairs Director

Representatives Waters (D-CA) and Bachus (R-AL) introduced the Jubilee Act in the House of Representatives in June.

If you don’t see your representative’s name in the list of co-sponsors below, please call 1800 786-2663 and encourage your elected leader to co-sponsor today!

Currently there are 68 co-sponsors.

Rep. Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] – 10/2/2007
Rep. Berman, Howard L. [CA-28] – 9/24/2007
Rep. Bishop, Sanford D., Jr. [GA-2] – 7/11/2007
Rep. Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3] – 6/19/2007
Rep. Brady, Robert A. [PA-1] – 7/11/2007
Rep. Brown, Corrine [FL-3] – 6/28/2007
Rep. Capps, Lois [CA-23] – 6/28/2007
Rep. Carnahan, Russ [MO-3] – 10/15/2007
Rep. Carson, Julia [IN-7] – 6/26/2007
Rep. Christensen, Donna M. [VI] – 6/28/2007
Rep. Clay, Wm. Lacy [MO-1] – 6/19/2007
Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] – 6/7/2007
Rep. Cohen, Steve [TN-9] – 9/7/2007
Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] – 6/28/2007
Rep. Crowley, Joseph [NY-7] – 10/12/2007
Rep. Davis, Artur [AL-7] – 6/28/2007
Rep. Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] – 10/12/2007
Rep. Davis, Susan A. [CA-53] – 9/24/2007
Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3] – 7/11/2007
Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [TX-25] – 10/12/2007
Rep. Doyle, Michael F. [PA-14] – 8/2/2007
Rep. Edwards, Chet [TX-17] – 9/24/2007
Rep. Ellison, Keith [MN-5] – 10/12/2007
Rep. Fattah, Chaka [PA-2] – 7/30/2007
Rep. Filner, Bob [CA-51] – 7/11/2007
Rep. Green, Al [TX-9] – 7/11/2007
Rep. Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] – 6/19/2007
Rep. Gutierrez, Luis V. [IL-4] – 6/7/2007
Rep. Hastings, Alcee L. [FL-23] – 6/19/2007
Rep. Hinchey, Maurice D. [NY-22] – 6/19/2007
Rep. Honda, Michael M. [CA-15] – 9/24/2007
Rep. Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. [IL-2] – 7/11/2007
Rep. Jackson-Lee, Sheila [TX-18] – 6/19/2007
Rep. Jefferson, William J. [LA-2] – 6/19/2007
Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30] – 6/26/2007
Rep. Jones, Stephanie Tubbs [OH-11] – 10/2/2007
Rep. Kucinich, Dennis J. [OH-10] – 7/30/2007
Rep. Lee, Barbara [CA-9] – 6/7/2007
Rep. Lewis, John [GA-5] – 7/11/2007
Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [CA-16] – 7/11/2007
Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] – 6/7/2007
Rep. McDermott, Jim [WA-7] – 9/7/2007
Rep. McGovern, James P. [MA-3] – 6/26/2007
Rep. McNulty, Michael R. [NY-21] – 6/26/2007
Rep. Miller, George [CA-7] – 7/11/2007
Rep. Moore, Gwen [WI-4] – 7/11/2007
Rep. Moran, James P. [VA-8] – 6/26/2007
Rep. Murphy, Christopher S. [CT-5] – 9/24/2007
Rep. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC] – 6/19/2007
Rep. Oberstar, James L. [MN-8] – 7/11/2007
Rep. Olver, John W. [MA-1] – 9/7/2007
Rep. Pastor, Ed [AZ-4] – 9/24/2007
Rep. Payne, Donald M. [NJ-10] – 6/7/2007
Rep. Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] – 6/26/2007
Rep. Richardson, Laura [CA-37] – 10/12/2007
Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [IL-1] – 6/26/2007
Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] – 6/26/2007
Rep. Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] – 7/11/2007
Rep. Stark, Fortney Pete [CA-13] – 6/28/2007
Rep. Van Hollen, Chris [MD-8] – 10/12/2007
Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [FL-20] – 10/12/2007
Rep. Watson, Diane E. [CA-33] – 9/24/2007
Rep. Watt, Melvin L. [NC-12] – 7/11/2007
Rep. Welch, Peter [VT] – 9/24/2007
Rep. Wexler, Robert [FL-19] – 7/11/2007
Rep. Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] – 7/11/2007
Rep. Wu, David [OR-1] – 6/19/2007

Yesterday, Jubilee USA wrapped up their 40-day fast with a terrific victory! Senators Robert Casey (D-PA), Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Chris Dodd (D-CT) introduced the Jubilee Act with Senators Joseph Biden (D-DE), John Sununu (R-NH) and Barack Obama (D-IL) as original co-sponsors of the legislation.

Today, Jubilee members are walking the Halls of Congress trying to build support for their bill. Please encourage everyone to call using our ONE 800 number (1-800-786-2663) to garner support for this important legislation.

All the talking points you need are here.

Thanks!

-Erin Erlenborn, ONE’s Government Affairs Director

I also want to let you know, that since the beginning of September, a man named Reverend Duncombe has been fasting while he walks the halls of Congress asking representations to support debt cancellation in developing countries through the Jubilee Act.

Make Reverend Duncombe’s voice stronger by sending a letter to your representative in support of the Jubilee Act.

We hope to send 40,000 letters by October 17 – a thousands letters for each day of his fast. Right now we’re at 5,315.

Today, ONE members are asking their representatives to support the Jubilee Act – a bill that would cancel debt in developing countries that promise to use the savings for poverty reduction.

Developing countries like Haiti and Lesotho, which should be building schools and distributing malaria nets and AIDS drugs, are stuck paying back billions of dollars of debt, often racked up by corrupt dictators.

Please ask your representative to support the Jubilee Act.

Canceling debt has a real success rate for reducing poverty. When Tanzania’s debt was canceled in 2000, for example, the government was able to eliminate school fees and 1.5 million Tanzanian children enrolled in school almost overnight.

Right now, Sub-Saharan Africa pays $13 billion in debt service to wealthy nations and financial institutions every year, almost enough to pay for life-saving drugs to reverse the AIDS crisis that claims 7,000 lives each day.

We hope to send at least 40,000 letters to Congress by Oct 17. Please contact your representative in support of the Jubilee Act today.

-By Robyn Llloyd, Jubilee USA Supporter, filmmaker, activist

JubileeUSA is holding a rolling fast for 40 days from Sep. 6 to Oct. 15 to bring awareness of the urgent need for debt relief for impoverished countries in order for them to meet the Millennium Development Goals of 2015.

This year is a Sabbath Year (seven years from 2000) and the world is midway towards the deadline of the MDGs. But are we midway toward meeting the goals of cutting global poverty and hunger in half?

I am one of more than 10,000 fasters supporting the Jubilee Act (HR 2634), which is co-sponsored by 50 representatives. My congressman, Vermont Rep. Peter Welch has now signed on to the Jubilee Act.

More than 10,000 people nationally are planning to fast — for one day or many — and have registered to fast on the Jubilee USA website. David Duncombe, a 79-year-old minister from Washington state, has vowed to fast for 40 days, and spend his time walking the halls of Congress in support of the Act.

I decide to take part doing a week-long fast. Below are excerpts from what I experienced on different days of the fast. Though I know my experience of ‘hunger’ will have very little resemblance to the day in and day out suffering of one in five people around the world who are impoverished, it’s my way of showing solidarity with the millions of people who cannot and do not choose to fast. For them, it’s a way of life.

(more…)

ONE members from Birmingham met with Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL-7) on Tuesday to discuss important legislation that would move the U.S. closer to our commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

The seven ONE activists took turns briefing Rep. Davis on three pieces of legislation: The Education for All Act, The Global Child Survival Act, and the GROWTH Act. (Rep. Davis had previously signed on as a co-sponsor for the Jubilee Act!)

Rep. Davis, commented that this legislation builds a “case for American values.” He said that there is a perception “that America is no longer interested in marginalized people around the world.”

Davis’ district consists of some of the poorest counties in the US where as much as 30-40% of the population live below the poverty line. Davis says he is sometimes asked how he can spend time on global poverty issues when the needs at home are so great. He responded that “in a strong country, addressing poverty abroad and poverty at home should not be an either/or issue but a both/and issue”

We also took the opportunity to talk with Rep. Davis about ONE Vote 08. Davis, a Harvard Law School classmate and supporter of presidential candidate Barack Obama, has been campaigning widely for Senator Obama, both on the campaign trail and on national cable news programs.

Our meeting ended with the requisite “white ONE banding” and group picture. Oh! And Rep. Davis said that he “would be happy to co-sponsor” these three important pieces of legislation. We hit the TRIFECTA!

-Elaine VanCleave, Birmingham, AL, ONE leader

[Pictured above: Mildred Sanford, Judy Donaldson, Betty Likis, Rep. Artur Davis, Nick Foster, Elaine VanCleave, Jeannette Bell, and Kelli Hepner]