[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 182 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]






107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 182

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States must allocate 
  significantly more resources to combat global poverty and that the 
President's decision to establish the Millennium Challenge Account is a 
                      step in the right direction.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 16, 2001

   Mrs. Feinstein (for herself, Mr. Smith of Oregon, Mr. Leahy, Mrs. 
Boxer, Mr. Wellstone, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Corzine, 
and Mr. Kennedy) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                 to the Committee on Foreign Relations

                              May 23, 2002

Reported by Mr. Biden, with an amendment, an amendment to the preamble, 
                     and an amendment to the title

                              June 4, 2002

                   Considered, amended, and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States must allocate 
  significantly more resources to combat global poverty and that the 
President's decision to establish the Millennium Challenge Account is a 
                      step in the right direction.

Whereas the World Bank estimates that 1,200,000,000 people in the world live on 
        less than $1 a day, and of these, more than 550,000,000 are in South 
        Asia, which is 40 percent of the South Asian population, and more than 
        290,000,000 are in sub-Saharan Africa, which is approximately 50 percent 
        of the sub-Saharan population;
Whereas 3,000,000,000 people, about half the world's population, live on 
        approximately $2 a day;
Whereas 1,200,000,000 people lack access to safe drinking water;
Whereas 2,900,000,000 people have inadequate access to sanitation;
Whereas at least 1,000,000,000 people in developing nations are unemployed or 
        underemployed;
Whereas President Bush, by announcing the establishment of a Millennium 
        Challenge Account committed the United States to spending significantly 
        more money on foreign assistance beginning fiscal year 2004;
Whereas United States foreign assistance amounts to approximately $30 per 
        American citizen per year, not including the President's recently 
        announced increases;
Whereas according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 
        the United States in recent years ranks next to last among 21 
        industrialized donor countries in per capita foreign assistance 
        spending;
Whereas economic assistance can only be effective if it is linked to sound 
        policies in developing nations;
Whereas open markets and free trade are important forces for economic 
        development and poverty reduction;
Whereas the United States is a top importer of goods from developing countries, 
        importing $450,000,000,000 in 2000 which was 8 times greater than all 
        official development assistance to developing countries from all donors;
Whereas the United States is the top source of private capital to developing 
        countries, averaging $36,000,000,000 annually between 1997 and 2000; and
Whereas reducing poverty, promoting equitable economic growth, and developing 
        democratic institutions advances United States national security 
        interests, and the failure to address these issues, and the resulting 
        social, economic, and political instability and violence, places United 
        States national security interests and the welfare and safety of United 
        States citizens at risk: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) widespread poverty in developing nations contributes to social, 
        economic, and political instability and violence which can lead to 
        failed states and the conditions in which terrorist recruitment and 
        terrorist organizations flourish;
            (2) United States bilateral assistance programs and contributions to 
        multilateral assistance programs must be robust enough to effectively 
        address development needs;
            (3) the United States, as the world's wealthiest, most powerful 
        nation, should build on the idea behind President Bush's proposal for 
        the Millennium Challenge Account and increase foreign assistance 
        spending by at least 25 percent for the next 5 years with the goal of 
        reaching an amount equal to or exceeding 3 percent of the Federal budget 
        by 2010 in order to promote its humanitarian, economic, and security 
        interests around the world; and
            (4) the Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development should--
                    (A) conduct a top-to-bottom evaluation of current foreign 
                assistance efforts to evaluate effectiveness;
                    (B) work with private voluntary organizations, foundations, 
                and corporations to identify areas where increased, targeted 
                foreign assistance could help reduce poverty and promote 
                equitable economic growth and the development of democratic 
                institutions; and
                    (C) not later than 6 months after the date of adoption of 
                this resolution, submit a report to the appropriate committees 
                in Congress describing the Administrator's findings and 
                recommendations for foreign assistance funding and policies to 
                reduce poverty and promote equitable economic growth and the 
                development of democratic institutions.
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