HR 1302
9-25-07, House Agreed to Bill by Voice Vote
Referred to Senate
Committee on Foreign Relations
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1302
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 26, 2007
Received, read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
AN ACT
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 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.
(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.
(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.
Passed the House of Representatives September 25, 2007.
Attest:
LORRAINE C. MILLER,
Clerk.
END
