Chicago, IL – In a speech today in Chicago, Senator Barack Obama outlined his intentions as President to double the United   States’ annual investments in international assistance to $50 billion by 2012. The increased funds would address strategic national security and humanitarian goals in Africa and the world’s poorest countries, including extreme poverty and global disease as well as establishing a new global education initiative.

“We’re excited that Senator Obama is speaking with Illinois voters about America’s leadership role in saving lives in Africa and the world’s poorest countries,” said ONE Illinois Field Organizer Annisa Wanat. “We hope that all the candidates from both sides of the aisle will continue to join us in the ONE Campaign’s fight against global AIDS and extreme poverty. Speaking out about these issues helps to inform candidates as well as voters about our country’s opportunity to make a massive difference in the lives of the world’s poorest people.”

ONE works across the political aisle, encouraging voters and candidates of all parties to make the fight against global AIDS and extreme poverty part of the election debate. Illinois was declared a “State of ONE”, joining 90 other cities and five states in becoming “Cities and States of ONE” in support of the campaign.

The ONE Campaign is a new effort by Americans to rally Americans – ONE by ONE – to fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty.  Reaching across political divides, ONE asks elected leaders and presidential candidates to do more to help America lead the world in saving millions of lives in the world’s poorest countries.

“The fight against extreme poverty is a security issue and crucial to our national interest,” said Susan McCue, President of ONE . “Much like after World War II, when President Truman and General Marshall used American funding to build a world that had more friends and fewer enemies, U.S. assistance to the poorest people in the world is both vital to our foreign policy and the right thing to do.”