Global Poverty Act could gain goodwill
The Gazette
March 9, 2008
Two recent Gazette articles are encouraging in our efforts to gain goodwill for our country with the rest of the world: Feb. 18, "Bush incites Congress to renew AIDS program" and Feb. 20, "Bush urges action to stop African strife."
President Bush visited several African nations to promote his efforts to fund poverty assistance and reduce conflicts in Africa.
There is before Congress the Global Poverty Act (S. 2433). The act would make the first Millennium Development Goal (to cut in half by 2015 the number of people who are hungry and the number of people living on less than $1 per day) an official part of U.S. policy. It also would require a coordinated strategy to achieve that goal through U.S. aid, debt relief and trade policies in cooperation with other countries, international institutions, faith-based groups and the private sector.
The Millennium Challenge Account was created to allocate U.S. assistance for poverty reduction and sustainable economic growth. The MCA is administered by the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
Bush (representing the United States) got a very warm welcome in Tanzania for the fifth anniversary celebration of the successful aid package from MCC. That helps to show the world what the United States can do.
Sen. Tom Harkin and Chuck Grassley should be encouraged to co-sponsor the Global Poverty Act or at least be enthusiastic supporters. They also should be sure agencies are adequately funded to achieve our goals.
Gene Jahncke
Cedar Rapids
