[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 182 Reported in Senate (RS)]






                                                       Calendar No. 389
107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 182

   Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should 
    allocate significantly more resources to combat global poverty.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   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
[Strike out the preamble and all after the resolving clause and insert 
                      the part printed in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should 
    allocate significantly more resources to combat global poverty.

<DELETED>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 according to a Congressional Budget Office report entitled ``The Role of 
        Foreign Aid in Development'', United States spending on foreign 
        assistance has fluctuated from year-to-year but has been on a downward 
        path since the 1960's;
Whereas in 1962, more than 3 percent of the Federal budget was spent on foreign 
        assistance;
Whereas in 2001, foreign assistance amounts to 0.79 percent of the Federal 
        budget, less than half of what it was 15 years ago, and less than a 
        third of what it was 40 years ago;
Whereas United States foreign economic and development assistance represents 
        less than 0.60 percent of the Federal budget;
Whereas United States foreign assistance amounts to only slightly more than 0.10 
        percent of Gross Domestic Product, or approximately $30 per American 
        citizen per year;
Whereas according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 
        the United States in recent years has ranked next to last among 21 
        industrialized donor countries in per capita foreign assistance 
        spending; 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
</DELETED>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,
<DELETED>    That it is the sense of the Senate that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (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;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) United States bilateral assistance programs 
        and contributions to multilateral assistance programs must be 
        robust enough to effectively address development 
        needs;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the United States, the world's wealthiest, 
        most powerful Nation, in order to promote its humanitarian, 
        economic, and security interests around the world, should 
        increase foreign assistance spending by at least 25 percent per 
        year for the next 5 years, and with the goal of reaching an 
        amount equal to or exceeding 3 percent of the Federal budget by 
        2010; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) the Administrator of the United States Agency 
        for International Development should--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) conduct a top-to-bottom evaluation of 
                current foreign assistance efforts to evaluate 
                effectiveness;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (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.</DELETED>
    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.
    Amend the title so as to read: ``A 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.''.




                                                       Calendar No. 389

107th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                              S. RES. 182

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

   Expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should 
    allocate significantly more resources to combat global poverty.

_______________________________________________________________________

                              May 23, 2002

   Reported with an amendment, an amendment to the preamble, and an 
                         amendment to the title