Take Action on the 2008 Offering of Letters
Recent Developments
May 8, 2008
Off To A Good Start: Senate Supports Increase in International Affairs Budget
In mid-March, the Senate voted to recommend $39.8 billion for the 2009 international affairs budget -- the administration’s full request. Last week the Senate Budget Committee had recommended an allocation of just $35.7 billion, so this vote restored $4.1 billion in funding for international affairs.
Bread for the World thanks Sens. Feinstein (D-CA), Smith (R-OR), Biden (D-DE), and Lugar (R-IN), who introduced amendments to add this funding. Other original sponsors included: Sens. Durbin (D-IL), Sununu (R-NH), Dodd (D-CT), Coleman (R-MN). The funding was approved on a vote of 73-23 for the Biden/Lugar amendment.
This is a great first step, but the budget and funding process is far from over.
The budget votes set general guidelines, but it is up to the appropriators to determine specific and binding funding levels. The next step will be to carry the budget resolution’s recommendations through to the Appropriations Committee, which makes decisions on the details of funding for specific programs. Read a guide to the federal budget process.
The international affairs budget pays for all of U.S. diplomacy and development programs including poverty-focused development assistance programs around the world. The Senate vote for robust funding of international affairs sends a strong signal of support for these programs. Such an increase would help the United States to meet its commitments to help reduce hunger and extreme poverty, including meeting the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
Urge your members of Congress to provide more and better poverty-fighting assistance to poor countries around the world. Ask for an increase of at least $5 billion in poverty-focused development assistance, and ask your senators to cosponsor S. 2433 (the Global Poverty Act).This bill was introduced in December 2007 by Sens. Barack Obama (D-IL,) Chuck Hagel (R-NE,) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA.) Find out if your senator is already a cosponsor of this legislation. Thank your representative for passing the bill last year.
Points to make:
- An additional $5 billion will help the United States keep its commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
- The Global Poverty Act will encourage better coordination of U.S. policies and programs, improving our country's efforts to fight poverty and hunger around the world.
Read: The Truth About the Global Poverty Act 
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