[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2639 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2639
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 United Nations 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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 21, 2009
Mr. Smith of Washington introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
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 United Nations 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 2009''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) More than one billion 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 the United Nations Millennium
Development Goals to improve life for the world's poorest
people by 2015.
(3) 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.
(4) 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.''.
(5) 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 United States
international policy.''.
(6) 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.''.
(7) 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.''.
(8) At the summit of the Group of Eight (G-8) nations in
July 2005, leaders from all eight 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.
(9) 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.
(10) 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 United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS,
Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003, the Millennium Challenge
Act of 2003, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative,
and trade preference programs for developing countries, such as
the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
(11) 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.
(12) 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.''.
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 United Nations 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 Government of the United States,
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
United Nations 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) Contents.--The strategy required by subsection (a) shall
include, but not be limited to, 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, but not be limited to, the following components:
(1) Continued investment 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, the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003,
the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, and trade
preference programs for developing countries, such as the
African Growth and Opportunity Act.
(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 into
policies and programs.
(d) Reports.--
(1) Initial report.--Not later than one year after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the President, acting through the
Secretary of State, shall transmit to the appropriate
congressional committees a report that describes the strategy
required by subsection (a).
(2) Subsequent reports.--Not less than once every two years
after the submission of the initial report under paragraph (1)
until and including 2015, the President shall transmit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report 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 Affairs and the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.
(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.
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