[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2433 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2433

   To require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive 
   strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of 
 promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme 
global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal 
  of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 
            1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 7, 2007

  Mr. Obama (for himself, Mr. Hagel, and Ms. Cantwell) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                           Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the President to develop and implement a comprehensive 
   strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of 
 promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme 
global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal 
  of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 
            1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Global Poverty Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) More than 1,000,000,000 people worldwide live on less 
        than $1 per day, and another 1,600,000,000 people struggle to 
        survive on less than $2 per day, according to the World Bank.
            (2) At the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000, the 
        United States joined more than 180 other countries in 
        committing to work toward goals to improve life for the world's 
        poorest people by 2015.
            (3) The year 2007 marks the mid-point to the Millennium 
        Development Goals deadline of 2015.
            (4) The United Nations Millennium Development Goals include 
        the goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people 
        worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, that live on less than $1 per 
        day, cutting in half the proportion of people suffering from 
        hunger and unable to access safe drinking water and sanitation, 
        reducing child mortality by two-thirds, ensuring basic 
        education for all children, and reversing the spread of HIV/
        AIDS and malaria, while sustaining the environment upon which 
        human life depends.
            (5) On March 22, 2002, President George W. Bush stated: 
        ``We fight against poverty because hope is an answer to terror. 
        We fight against poverty because opportunity is a fundamental 
        right to human dignity. We fight against poverty because faith 
        requires it and conscience demands it. We fight against poverty 
        with a growing conviction that major progress is within our 
        reach.''.
            (6) The 2002 National Security Strategy of the United 
        States notes: ``[A] world where some live in comfort and 
        plenty, while half of the human race lives on less than $2 per 
        day, is neither just nor stable. Including all of the world's 
        poor in an expanding circle of development and opportunity is a 
        moral imperative and one of the top priorities of U.S. 
        international policy.''.
            (7) The 2006 National Security Strategy of the United 
        States notes: ``America's national interests and moral values 
        drive us in the same direction: to assist the world's poor 
        citizens and least developed nations and help integrate them 
        into the global economy.''.
            (8) The bipartisan Final Report of the National Commission 
        on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States recommends: ``A 
        comprehensive United States strategy to counter terrorism 
        should include economic policies that encourage development, 
        more open societies, and opportunities for people to improve 
        the lives of their families and enhance prospects for their 
        children.''.
            (9) At the summit of the Group of Eight (G-8) nations in 
        July 2005, leaders from all eight participating countries 
        committed to increase aid to Africa from the current 
        $25,000,000,000 annually to $50,000,000,000 by 2010, and to 
        cancel 100 percent of the debt obligations owed to the World 
        Bank, African Development Bank, and International Monetary Fund 
        by 18 of the world's poorest nations.
            (10) At the United Nations World Summit in September 2005, 
        the United States joined more than 180 other governments in 
        reiterating their commitment to achieve the United Nations 
        Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
            (11) The United States has recognized the need for 
        increased financial and technical assistance to countries 
        burdened by extreme poverty, as well as the need for 
        strengthened economic and trade opportunities for those 
        countries, through significant initiatives in recent years, 
        including the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7701 
        et seq.), the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, 
        Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7601 et seq.), 
        the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, and trade 
        preference programs for developing countries, such as the 
        African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.).
            (12) In January 2006, United States Secretary of State 
        Condoleezza Rice initiated a restructuring of the United States 
        foreign assistance program, including the creation of a 
        Director of Foreign Assistance, who maintains authority over 
        Department of State and United States Agency for International 
        Development (USAID) foreign assistance funding and programs.
            (13) In January 2007, the Department of State's Office of 
        the Director of Foreign Assistance added poverty reduction as 
        an explicit, central component of the overall goal of United 
        States foreign assistance. The official goal of United States 
        foreign assistance is: ``To help build and sustain democratic, 
        well-governed states that respond to the needs of their people, 
        reduce widespread poverty and conduct themselves responsibly in 
        the international system.''.
            (14) Economic growth and poverty reduction are more 
        successful in countries that invest in the people, rule justly, 
        and promote economic freedom. These principles have become the 
        core of several development programs of the United States 
        Government, such as the Millennium Challenge Account.

SEC. 3. DECLARATION OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States to promote the reduction of 
global poverty, the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the 
achievement of the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half 
the proportion of people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on 
less than $1 per day.

SEC. 4. REQUIREMENT TO DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY.

    (a) Strategy.--The President, acting through the Secretary of 
State, and in consultation with the heads of other appropriate 
departments and agencies of the United States Government, international 
organizations, international financial institutions, the governments of 
developing and developed countries, United States and international 
nongovernmental organizations, civil society organizations, and other 
appropriate entities, shall develop and implement a comprehensive 
strategy to further the United States foreign policy objective of 
promoting the reduction of global poverty, the elimination of extreme 
global poverty, and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goal 
of reducing by one-half the proportion of people worldwide, between 
1990 and 2015, who live on less than $1 per day.
    (b) Content.--The strategy required by subsection (a) shall include 
specific and measurable goals, efforts to be undertaken, benchmarks, 
and timetables to achieve the objectives described in subsection (a).
    (c) Components.--The strategy required by subsection (a) should 
include the following components:
            (1) Continued investment or involvement in existing United 
        States initiatives related to international poverty reduction, 
        such as the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, 
        Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7601 et seq.), 
        the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.), 
        and trade preference programs for developing countries, such as 
        the African Growth and Opportunity Act (19 U.S.C. 3701 et 
        seq.).
            (2) Improving the effectiveness of development assistance 
        and making available additional overall United States 
        assistance levels as appropriate.
            (3) Enhancing and expanding debt relief as appropriate.
            (4) Leveraging United States trade policy where possible to 
        enhance economic development prospects for developing 
        countries.
            (5) Coordinating efforts and working in cooperation with 
        developed and developing countries, international 
        organizations, and international financial institutions.
            (6) Mobilizing and leveraging the participation of 
        businesses, United States and international nongovernmental 
        organizations, civil society, and public-private partnerships.
            (7) Coordinating the goal of poverty reduction with other 
        development goals, such as combating the spread of preventable 
        diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, 
        increasing access to potable water and basic sanitation, 
        reducing hunger and malnutrition, and improving access to and 
        quality of education at all levels regardless of gender.
            (8) Integrating principles of sustainable development and 
        entrepreneurship into policies and programs.
    (d) Reports.--
            (1) Initial report.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the 
                date of the enactment of this Act, the President, 
                acting through the Secretary of State, shall submit to 
                the appropriate congressional committees a report on 
                the strategy required under subsection (a).
                    (B) Content.--The report required under 
                subparagraph (A) shall include the following elements:
                            (i) A description of the strategy required 
                        under subsection (a).
                            (ii) An evaluation, to the extent possible, 
                        both proportionate and absolute, of the 
                        contributions provided by the United States and 
                        other national and international actors in 
                        achieving the Millennium Development Goal of 
                        reducing by one-half the proportion of people 
                        worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who live on 
                        less than $1 per day.
                            (iii) An assessment of the overall progress 
                        toward achieving the Millennium Development 
                        Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of 
                        people worldwide, between 1990 and 2015, who 
                        live on less than $1 per day.
            (2) Subsequent reports.--Not later than December 31, 2012, 
        and December 31, 2015, the President shall submit to the 
        appropriate congressional committees reports on the status of 
        the implementation of the strategy, progress made in achieving 
        the global poverty reduction objectives described in subsection 
        (a), and any changes to the strategy since the date of the 
        submission of the last report.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
                Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
                Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) Extreme global poverty.--The term ``extreme global 
        poverty'' refers to the conditions in which individuals live on 
        less than $1 per day, adjusted for purchasing power parity in 
        1993 United States dollars, according to World Bank statistics.
            (3) Global poverty.--The term ``global poverty'' refers to 
        the conditions in which individuals live on less than $2 per 
        day, adjusted for purchasing power parity in 1993 United States 
        dollars, according to World Bank statistics.
            (4) Millennium development goals.--The term ``Millennium 
        Development Goals'' means the goals set out in the United 
        Nations Millennium Declaration, General Assembly Resolution 55/
        2 (2000).
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