[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 143 (Tuesday, September 25, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H10778-H10781]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GLOBAL POVERTY ACT OF 2007
Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 1302) 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, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 1302
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
[[Page H10779]]
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 one billion people worldwide live on less
than $1 per day, and another 1.6 billion 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 billion annually
to $50 billion 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.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Washington (Mr. Smith) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-
Lehtinen) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.
General Leave
Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Washington?
There was no objection.
Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
I rise in support of the Global Poverty Act, and want to explain
first what the bill does and then why it is so important. It declares
the official U.S. policy to promote the reduction of global poverty,
the elimination of extreme global poverty, and the achievement of the
U.N. Millennium Development Goal of cutting extreme poverty
[[Page H10780]]
in half by 2015. It requires the President to develop and implement a
comprehensive strategy to carry out this policy. It includes guidelines
for what the strategy should include, from aid, trade and debt relief,
to working with the international community, businesses and NGOs to
ensuring environmental sustainability.
It also requires that the President's strategy include specific and
measurable goals, efforts to be undertaken, benchmarks and time tables.
And, lastly, it requires that the President report back to Congress
biannually on the progress made in the implementation of the global
poverty strategy.
There are nearly 2.7 billion people in the world who are living on
less than $2 a day. There are close to a billion who are living on less
than a dollar a day. Arguably, there is no greater problem facing the
globe right now than poverty and the vast number of people who suffer
from it, the countries and communities who, every day, get up, simply
wondering whether or not they and their children are going to live to
see the end of that day. It causes instability, disease, and all kinds
of problems from one end of the globe to the other.
But the other thing that is simply immoral is that there are this
many people on that level of despair and on that level of poverty. And
we in the United States have the power to at least try to help, and we
are, in many, many ways.
I actually want to thank the President for the Millennium Challenge
accounts, an effort to try to make sure that countries not just get
foreign aid but use it wisely; the efforts to fund prevention of AIDS
in Africa. The PEPFAR effort that's been going on for a number of years
is a significant step forward.
We also have a large number of organizations and groups that are
trying to combat global poverty. We have the world coming together in
many ways as it never has before to try to combat this menace.
As mentioned, the U.N. set out their millennial development goals.
The G8 set global poverty as its prime purpose a couple years ago. We
have groups like the Gates Foundation and Results and Bread for the
World and a large number of other organizations that are combating
global poverty from every conceivable angle. And they are learning a
lot as they do. They are learning what works, what moves forward, what
doesn't work, what the best way to spend money is.
We are in the position, I believe, to consolidate those resources to
get the maximum return on our effort to reduce global poverty. And I
feel that the United States of America should be, not just a leader,
but the leader in this effort.
And we have, as I mentioned, done a lot. But the one thing we haven't
done is stated clearly and unequivocally that eliminating global
poverty, or at least reducing it, is going to be a foremost goal of our
foreign policy; and we have not implemented a comprehensive plan. It's
great that there are so many different organizations working at this
problem from a variety of different angles; but if we could bring that
together, we could get more out of those resources. And I think the
United States should coordinate that effort.
I want to thank a large number of people for helping make this
happen. Certainly Chairman Tom Lantos has been a tremendous leader on
these issues and has been very helpful in this particular piece of
legislation, as has the ranking member, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and the
Republicans on the committee. This is a bipartisan effort. I want to
thank Representative Bachus, who I believe is going to speak, he and I
were the original two sponsors on this bill, stepped up and helped.
I think this is something that we can come together on, and I think
it is very, very important that the United States takes this leadership
role. I believe if we do so we will be able to better combat global
poverty, and I also think we will be better able to build alliances
throughout the world and let the world know that the United States
wants to use its power for the betterment of the entire world, not just
ourselves. And we're willing to work with them on this problem that
affects so many different countries throughout the world.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the gentleman's bill, H.R. 1302,
the Global Poverty Act of 2007. We certainly have serious needs and
poverty right here in our own country. The suffering of the world's
extremely poor, however, is beyond the imagining of most Americans.
Many Americans might be shocked to know just how many men, women and
children around the world die each hour of every day simply because
they are too poor to obtain food, shelter or basic medical care. While
we quite often see the fatal impact of famines or natural disasters, we
rarely see the images of the ongoing suffering caused by persistent
hunger and chronic poverty.
The bill seeks to better organize the approaches to fighting poverty
that are employed by the Agency for International Development and other
agencies in our own government. It would seek to accomplish that by
calling on the President to create an overall strategy for these
efforts.
I note that the sponsor of the bill, my good friend, Mr. Smith from
Washington, agreed to an amendment adopted by our Foreign Affairs
Committee that made two important changes. First, while referencing
foreign aid and debt relief as components of a strategy to address
global poverty, the bill now makes it clear that the strategy that the
President would draw up would not have to be based on the assumption
that the United States foreign aid and debt relief will always continue
to rise.
The United States certainly has been generous in its provisions of
foreign aid and debt relief. But no one can predict whether those two
types of assistance will always rise.
Moreover, to address poverty comprehensively, the President may want
to focus on expanding other types of interactions with countries
suffering from widespread poverty, such as promoting trade, promoting
investment, for example.
The bill, in the amended text before us today, Mr. Speaker, will
allow the greater flexibility in deciding what might work best at a
given time, in the particular circumstances, rather than insisting that
he devise a strategy that assumes that more foreign aid and debt relief
are always required.
Secondly, the bill, as amended, requires that the President submit to
Congress a report on the implementation of the strategy once every 2
years, rather than once a year, as originally intended. And I
appreciate the sponsor of the bill agreeing to that change. The change
in the frequency of the reports, of the submission of the reports, Mr.
Speaker, will enhance the substance of the periodic reports as
significant statements on the progress being made under a global
poverty reduction strategy.
Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that Mr. Smith's bill will promote a
greater focus on how we might best provide assistance to those in dire
poverty overseas, while ensuring a realistic view of the resources and
the means available to us to provide such assistance.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.
Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I
will reserve the balance of my time for purposes of closing.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, if I might, I would like to yield such
time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus), the
ranking member of the Committee on Financial Services and an original
cosponsor of the resolution before us.
Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me commend the chairman
and the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. It's been a
pleasure working with Congressman Adam Smith on this legislation, and I
commend you, Adam.
This is a bipartisan bill with a goal that should bring all of us
together. And that goal is the reduction of extreme poverty and to make
that reduction of extreme poverty a foreign policy priority for the
United States.
Today, in dozens of poor countries all over the world, little boys
and girls are born into poverty, disease, and hunger. Hopelessness and
despair are their daily companions. Their burdens are day-to-day;
they're painful and they're heavy.
In debating debt relief, I quoted Sister Rebecca Trujillo. She was
asked,
[[Page H10781]]
How do they make it? How do they get through the day? Her answer was:
``How do they survive? Since being in Nicaragua I have taken to answer
in a matter of fact way. Often they do not. Often they do not survive
the day.''
Each day, even on our bad days, and we're fond of saying we've had a
really bad day, but we ought to be reminded that for billions of people
throughout the world, that even on our worst days, we have more food,
more shelter, more clothes, more security, more health care, more of
everything than our poor brothers and sisters have on their best days.
And, finally, a lot of people said, well, the reality is
overwhelming. Half the world lives on $2 a day. But we can make a
difference and we can do so at a very small cost.
We've had successes. We have made a difference. Debt relief has been
a success. It has improved the lives of millions of people for almost
no monetary cost to this country. Since the Millennium Development
Goals were set 7 years ago, the poverty rate in sub-Saharan Africa is
down 6 percent. There are more children receiving health care, in fact,
over a million more children in that area alone, and medical treatment.
Vaccinations are up throughout Africa. The percentage of students
enrolled in primary schools has gone up considerably.
So, in closing, let me simply say this: cost should never be the
overriding consideration. But when we consider cost, and doing the
right thing is the imperative, but when we consider the cost, let us
realize that the cost of not acting is not only hopelessness and unrest
throughout the world, but is also terrorism and confrontation and wars
that can be avoided if these programs work.
{time} 1230
Global poverty is in our economic interest. It is in our national
security interest as well. This bill will focus our battle against
global poverty, and it is a powerful statement that Americans are
committed to making this world a better place for all.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
I want to thank and again appreciate the efforts of my Republican
colleagues and agree with their comments. A comprehensive strategy is
what we are looking for here, and that is certainly trade, efforts at
economic development, capacity-building to help countries figure out
how to better use trade, microcredit. There are a lot of different
strategies out there that can be employed. Certainly aid and debt
relief are part of it but not the only part. In fact, the better part
is when you can figure out how to make the economies work, how to make
the governments work in these countries so that they can begin to
develop their own economies and grow and lift themselves out of poverty
in that manner. That is more sustainable and more long term. I
personally believe that aid and debt relief will continue to be a
significant part of the strategy for a while, but certainly the goal is
also to be as comprehensive as possible and employ economic means to
help lift people out of poverty as well.
I also think the other exciting thing about all this is the
possibility of public-private partnerships, and I do not envision
personally that the Federal Government or any federal government will
wind up being the sole or even necessarily the leading organization in
terms of driving the dollars out. We have a large number of groups, in
my own neck of the woods, the Gates Foundation to the tune of over $30
billion, that are pumping money into a variety of different ideas to
help alleviate global poverty. Nongovernmental organizations are making
an enormous difference, and I would hope that the strategy would
reflect that public-private partnership to maximize those resources.
And, lastly, I just want to agree with what Representative Bachus
said at the close there about how this does impact all of us.
Instability leads to all manner of problems in the world, and poverty
leads to instability more quickly than anything else. It is in our best
interests to try to alleviate that instability and bring greater
fairness, justice, and economic opportunities to the world. And I
sincerely believe that this bill will have that effect, and I urge all
Members of the body to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Blumenauer). The question is on the
motion offered by the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith) that the
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1302, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________