[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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